Preston Boy

Popularity: #285 · Trend: ↘ Falling

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 #202 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.

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 Total Births Boy Girl
2025 1,141 1,131 10
2024 1,066 1,048 18
2023 1,249 1,232 17
2022 1,370 1,354 16
2021 1,495 1,473 22
2020 1,666 1,647 19
2019 1,767 1,748 19
2018 1,979 1,966 13
2017 2,094 2,073 21
2016 2,337 2,313 24
2015 2,475 2,456 19
2014 2,753 2,733 20
2013 2,685 2,670 15
2012 2,959 2,945 14
2011 3,058 3,037 21
2010 3,123 3,108 15
2009 3,476 3,465 11
2008 3,474 3,461 13
2007 3,814 3,797 17
2006 3,732 3,719 13
2005 2,744 2,728 16
2004 2,667 2,646 21
2003 2,654 2,640 14
2002 2,532 2,515 17
2001 2,636 2,618 18
2000 2,767 2,743 24
1999 2,301 2,291 10
1998 1,905 1,891 14
1997 1,905 1,889 16
1996 1,678 1,672 6
1995 1,728 1,715 13
1994 1,615 1,606 9
1993 1,560 1,545 15
1992 1,537 1,526 11
1991 1,436 1,426 10
1990 1,536 1,527 9
1989 1,479 1,470 9
1988 1,367 1,352 15
1987 1,287 1,278 9
1986 1,133 1,121 12
1985 985 978 7
1984 910 904 6
1983 830 819 11
1982 812 807 5
1981 753 744 9
1980 768 763 5
1979 695 690 5
1978 597 597 0
1977 592 583 9
1976 574 567 7
1975 450 450 0
1974 489 482 7
1973 490 484 6
1972 574 568 6
1971 549 541 8
1970 521 521 0
1969 507 507 0
1968 506 498 8
1967 466 460 6
1966 520 520 0
1965 456 456 0
1964 461 453 8
1963 481 476 5
1962 484 484 0
1961 452 452 0
1960 477 477 0
1959 485 485 0
1958 479 479 0
1957 516 516 0
1956 549 549 0
1955 529 524 5
1954 489 484 5
1953 521 516 5
1952 562 557 5
1951 519 519 0
1950 535 535 0
1949 535 535 0
1948 461 461 0
1947 531 525 6
1946 452 452 0
1945 450 450 0
1944 408 408 0
1943 448 448 0
1942 453 447 6
1941 395 395 0
1940 381 381 0
1939 353 353 0
1938 332 332 0
1937 360 360 0
1936 334 334 0
1935 324 324 0
1934 357 357 0
1933 317 317 0
1932 352 352 0
1931 333 333 0
1930 389 379 10
1929 353 348 5
1928 381 381 0
1927 375 375 0
1926 416 416 0
1925 426 426 0
1924 419 414 5
1923 478 478 0
1922 467 467 0
1921 453 448 5
1920 482 482 0
1919 430 430 0
1918 422 417 5
1917 421 413 8
1916 424 418 6
1915 388 388 0
1914 319 319 0
1913 218 218 0
1912 206 206 0
1911 128 128 0
1910 112 112 0
1909 76 76 0
1908 88 88 0
1907 71 71 0
1906 61 61 0
1905 82 82 0
1904 67 67 0
1903 76 76 0
1902 62 62 0
1901 78 78 0
1900 78 78 0
1899 52 52 0
1898 53 53 0
1897 37 37 0
1896 53 53 0
1895 58 58 0
1894 66 66 0
1893 46 46 0
1892 49 49 0
1891 51 51 0
1890 49 49 0
1889 39 39 0
1888 58 58 0
1887 44 44 0
1886 36 36 0
1885 48 48 0
1884 49 49 0
1883 52 52 0
1882 49 49 0
1881 36 36 0
1880 47 47 0

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. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 126
12%
FL 78
8%
CA 77
8%
NC 49
5%
NY 47
5%
OH 43
4%
MI 40
4%
PA 39
4%
GA 38
4%
TN 34
3%
VA 34
3%
SC 31
3%
LA 30
3%
IN 29
3%
MO 27
3%
IL 26
3%
KY 24
2%
MS 22
2%
OK 21
2%
AR 19
2%
CO 19
2%
WA 15
1%
WI 14
1%
MN 13
1%
NJ 12
1%
AZ 12
1%
MD 11
1%
AL 11
1%
WV 11
1%
UT 10
1%
MA 9
1%
NV 9
1%
IA 9
1%
OR 9
1%
ID 7
1%
KS 6
1%
ME 5
0%
CT 5
0%