| Primrose | Marigold | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Primrose flower | Marigold flower |
| Origin | english | english |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | PRIM-rohz | MA-ri-gohld |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1914 | 1918 |
| Peak year | 2021 (93) | 2025 (498) |
| In 2025 | 69 | 498 |
| Trend | Rising | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Primrose | Marigold |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 517 | 2,121 |
| 2010s | 427 | 727 |
| 2000s | 0 | 49 |
| 1990s | 0 | 10 |
| 1980s | 5 | 0 |
| 1970s | 6 | 10 |
| 1960s | 5 | 0 |
| 1940s | 7 | 6 |
| 1930s | 19 | 16 |
| 1920s | 30 | 34 |
| 1910s | 17 | 5 |
IS a bloom word: from the flower, via Old French/Medieval Latin 'prima rosa' meaning 'first rose', as the primrose is one of the first flowers to bloom in spring.
IS a bloom word: from the flower, whose name combines 'Mary' (for the Virgin Mary) with 'gold', originally 'gold' flower and later 'Mary's gold'.
Marigold is more popular than Primrose today: about 498 US babies were given the name Marigold in 2025, compared with 69 named Primrose.
Primrose means Primrose flower (english origin), while Marigold means Marigold flower (english origin).
In US records, Primrose first appears in 1914 and Marigold in 1918, so Primrose has the longer recorded history.