Meaning & History
Scilla is an Italian feminine given name that primarily serves as a short form of Priscilla, a diminutive of the Roman name Prisca. The name Prisca, in turn, means "ancient" or "venerable" in Latin, derived from the adjective priscus.
In early Christian tradition, Paul the Apostle lived with a woman named Priscilla (along with her husband Aquila) in Corinth, and she is mentioned in Acts of the New Testament. After the Protestant Reformation, the name was revived among Puritans and later appeared as a literary name in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's 1858 poem The Courtship of Miles Standish.
Beyond its connection to Priscilla, Scilla also coincides with the Italian common name for the squill flower (genus Scilla), which comprises bulb-forming herbaceous plants in the family Asparagaceae. Known for their early-spring blue bells, squills were described by ancient Greek and Roman naturalists such as Theophrastus, Dioscorides, and Pliny the Elder in their botanical writings.
Though not extremely common, Scilla fits a pattern of feminine and soft-sounding names favored in Italy.
Etymology
The name Scilla is both a hypocorism of Priscilla and a homonym of the Italian word for "squill," referring to the genus of flowering plants. The floral association lends the name connotations of spring, bulbs, and a natural elegance, much like other flower names in Italian such as Viola or Rosa.
Notable Bearers
- Scilla – Italian rapper and songwriter active in the 1990s and 2000s, known for her work with the group Flaminio Maphia.
- Meaning: Short form of Priscilla; also Italian for squill flower.
- Origin: Latin (Prisca → Priscilla → Scilla); Italian floral vocabulary.
- Type: Diminutive / common noun usage as a name.
- Usage regions: Italy primarily.
Related Names
Sources: Wikipedia — Scilla