Meaning and background
The story behind Prima
Prima has a documented history as an Ancient Roman feminine personal name derived from Primus, the Latin word for 'first'. In Italian prima also functions as a feminine adjective or adverb, but a modern language coincidence should not replace the recorded Roman naming tradition. The opening consonant cluster is simple in English, and the ending makes a gentle two-syllable dog name. No birth-order claim about the animal is implied.
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About Prima
Recorded as a dog’s name
Prima appears in 5 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/pɹimə/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/pɹimə/ · primary stress on syllable 1P R IY1 M AH0
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.