Prissy is a diminutive of Priscilla. Priscilla originates in Latin language and means "old-time, ancient". It is a variation of Prisca, ultimately derived from a family name Priscus. Priscilla appears in the Bible as Aquila's wife, as well as in Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queen. In English-speaking countries it has been used as a given name since the 17th century. Popularized by Priscilla Presley, ex-wife of Elvis Presley.