Preston Boy
Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: PRES-tun //ˈprɛstən//
Origin: English; Old English
Meaning: English: priest's town; Old English: from the priest's estate
Historical & Cultural Background
The name Preston has its roots in Old English, derived from the elements "preost," meaning "priest," and "tun," meaning "town" or "settlement." This etymology suggests that the name originally referred to a "priest's town" or a settlement associated with a church or religious figure. The name was first recorded in the 11th century, particularly in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landholdings in England after the Norman Conquest.
The name has since evolved through various forms, including the Middle English "Preston," before solidifying into its modern spelling in the 19th century. Historically, Preston has been associated with several notable locations in England, particularly the town of Preston in Lancashire, which played a significant role during the Industrial Revolution.
The town became a center for textile manufacturing, contributing to its prominence in the 19th century. Additionally, the name has been borne by various historical figures, including Preston of the 17th century, who was a prominent parliamentary figure during the English Civil War.
The name also appears in various literary works and historical texts, further embedding it in English cultural history. Culturally, the name Preston carries connotations of community and religious significance, reflecting its origins tied to ecclesiastical authority.
It has been used in various contexts, from place names to surnames, and has maintained a sense of tradition and heritage. The diminutive form "Pres" has also emerged in some contexts, although it is less commonly used.
Overall, Preston encapsulates a blend of historical, cultural, and linguistic significance that has allowed it to endure through the centuries.
Famous people named Preston
In this section, you will find notable people named Preston. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Preston who have made a significant impact on popular culture.
We also feature individuals named Preston who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.
Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.
Preston Sturges was a filmmaker and screenwriter best known for Sullivan's Travels, The Lady Eve, and Miracle of Morgan's Creek.
Preston Brooks was a notable figure in American history best known for his role in the Brooks-Sumner incident.
Preston Manning is a political figure best known for founding the Reform Party of Canada and serving as its leader.
Fictional characters named Preston
The following list of fictional characters named Preston is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.
You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.
Preston Garvey is a fictional character from the video game Fallout 4. He is a member of the Railroad and serves as a key companion to the player character, providing guidance and support throughout the game.
Sibling suggestions
If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Preston, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.
Similar names
Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Preston. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.
U.S. Historical Usage
The name Preston was first seen in the United States in 1880.
Preston has ranked as high as #200 nationally, which occurred in 2007, and has been most popular in Texas, California, North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia.
In the past 5 years the name Preston has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.
Popularity Over Time (National)
The name Preston is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Preston was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.
Top States for Preston (2024)
We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.
| State | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|
| TX | 126 | |
| FL | 78 | |
| CA | 77 | |
| NC | 49 | |
| NY | 47 | |
| OH | 43 | |
| MI | 40 | |
| PA | 39 | |
| GA | 38 | |
| VA | 34 | |
| TN | 34 | |
| SC | 31 | |
| LA | 30 | |
| IN | 29 | |
| MO | 27 |
Popularity Over Time (National) — Table
We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Preston.
| Year | Births |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,045 |
| 2023 | 1,230 |
| 2022 | 1,353 |
| 2021 | 1,472 |
| 2020 | 1,646 |
| 2019 | 1,748 |
| 2018 | 1,966 |
| 2017 | 2,073 |
| 2016 | 2,313 |
| 2015 | 2,455 |
| 2014 | 2,733 |
| 2013 | 2,668 |
| 2012 | 2,944 |
| 2011 | 3,036 |
| 2010 | 3,107 |
| 2009 | 3,463 |
| 2008 | 3,461 |
| 2007 | 3,796 |
| 2006 | 3,719 |
| 2005 | 2,728 |
| 2004 | 2,646 |
| 2003 | 2,640 |
| 2002 | 2,515 |
| 2001 | 2,618 |
| 2000 | 2,743 |
| 1999 | 2,291 |
| 1998 | 1,891 |
| 1997 | 1,889 |
| 1996 | 1,672 |
| 1995 | 1,715 |
| 1994 | 1,606 |
| 1993 | 1,545 |
| 1992 | 1,528 |
| 1991 | 1,426 |
| 1990 | 1,527 |
| 1989 | 1,470 |
| 1988 | 1,352 |
| 1987 | 1,278 |
| 1986 | 1,121 |
| 1985 | 978 |
| 1984 | 904 |
| 1983 | 819 |
| 1982 | 807 |
| 1981 | 744 |
| 1980 | 763 |
| 1979 | 690 |
| 1978 | 597 |
| 1977 | 583 |
| 1976 | 567 |
| 1975 | 450 |
| 1974 | 482 |
| 1973 | 484 |
| 1972 | 568 |
| 1971 | 540 |
| 1970 | 522 |
| 1969 | 507 |
| 1968 | 498 |
| 1967 | 460 |
| 1966 | 520 |
| 1965 | 456 |
| 1964 | 453 |
| 1963 | 476 |
| 1962 | 484 |
| 1961 | 451 |
| 1960 | 478 |
| 1959 | 485 |
| 1958 | 479 |
| 1957 | 516 |
| 1956 | 549 |
| 1955 | 524 |
| 1954 | 484 |
| 1953 | 516 |
| 1952 | 557 |
| 1951 | 519 |
| 1950 | 535 |
| 1949 | 535 |
| 1948 | 461 |
| 1947 | 525 |
| 1946 | 452 |
| 1945 | 450 |
| 1944 | 408 |
| 1943 | 448 |
| 1942 | 447 |
| 1941 | 395 |
| 1940 | 381 |
| 1939 | 353 |
| 1938 | 332 |
| 1937 | 360 |
| 1936 | 334 |
| 1935 | 324 |
| 1934 | 357 |
| 1933 | 317 |
| 1932 | 352 |
| 1931 | 333 |
| 1930 | 379 |
| 1929 | 348 |
| 1928 | 381 |
| 1927 | 375 |
| 1926 | 416 |
| 1925 | 426 |
| 1924 | 414 |
| 1923 | 478 |
| 1922 | 467 |
| 1921 | 448 |
| 1920 | 482 |
| 1919 | 430 |
| 1918 | 417 |
| 1917 | 413 |
| 1916 | 418 |
| 1915 | 388 |
| 1914 | 319 |
| 1913 | 218 |
| 1912 | 206 |
| 1911 | 128 |
| 1910 | 112 |
| 1909 | 76 |
| 1908 | 88 |
| 1907 | 71 |
| 1906 | 61 |
| 1905 | 82 |
| 1904 | 67 |
| 1903 | 76 |
| 1902 | 62 |
| 1901 | 78 |
| 1900 | 78 |
| 1899 | 52 |
| 1898 | 53 |
| 1897 | 37 |
| 1896 | 53 |
| 1895 | 58 |
| 1894 | 66 |
| 1893 | 46 |
| 1892 | 49 |
| 1891 | 51 |
| 1890 | 49 |
| 1889 | 39 |
| 1888 | 58 |
| 1887 | 44 |
| 1886 | 36 |
| 1885 | 48 |
| 1884 | 49 |
| 1883 | 52 |
| 1882 | 49 |
| 1881 | 36 |
| 1880 | 47 |