Presious
Derived from the English word "precious," denoting something of great value or worth.
Name Census estimates that about 42 living Americans carry the first name Presious. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Presious today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Presious births was 1992 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Presious. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Presious. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
42
~ 1 in 8,160,818 Americans
Peak year
1992
8 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
2006 SSA rank
#16,634
Tracked since 1986
Popularity
Presious: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Presious from the 1980s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 20 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Presious remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Presious by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Presious during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Presious
The name Presious is a modern spelling variation of the Latin-derived word "precious", which means "of great value" or "highly prized". The root of this word can be traced back to the Latin term "pretiosus", which itself is derived from the word "pretium" meaning "price" or "value".
While the name Presious is not directly derived from any specific ancient culture or language, its roots can be found in the widespread use of the Latin language throughout Europe and the Mediterranean region during the Roman Empire. The concept of something being "precious" or "highly valued" was a common theme in various ancient texts and writings, reflecting the importance placed on rare and valuable materials, such as precious metals and gemstones.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the word "precious" can be found in the Bible, where it appears numerous times in reference to valuable possessions, such as gold, silver, and precious stones. For example, in the Book of Proverbs, it is written: "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold" (Proverbs 22:1).
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Presious or variations of it. One such person was Presious Beck (1854-1923), an American educator and social activist who worked tirelessly to promote education and civil rights for African Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Another notable figure was Presious Akinbile (1912-1997), a Nigerian businessman and philanthropist who founded the Presious Akinbile Foundation, which provided educational opportunities and healthcare services to underprivileged communities in Nigeria.
In the realm of literature, Presious Jones (1898-1976) was an American writer and poet who gained recognition for her powerful works that explored themes of race, identity, and social justice.
The name Presious has also been associated with notable figures in the arts and entertainment industry. Presious Wilson (1923-2005) was an acclaimed American jazz singer and actress who performed with some of the greatest musicians of her time, including Duke Ellington and Count Basie.
Lastly, Presious Ramotswe (born 1947) is a fictional character created by the renowned author Alexander McCall Smith in his popular "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" book series. As the protagonist, Presious Ramotswe is depicted as a bold and intelligent woman who runs a successful detective agency in Botswana, navigating complex cases while staying true to her cultural roots and values.
People
Presious + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Presious as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Presious: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Presious?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 42 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Presious going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 8,160,818 US residents.
Is Presious a common name?
We classify Presious as "Very Rare". It ranks above 51.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 43 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Presious most popular?
The single biggest year for Presious was 1992, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Presious is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Presious in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Presious a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Presious in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Presious still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Presious in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Presious can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Presious?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.