Find out how popular the first name Preston has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Preston by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Preston is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 99% of people named Preston being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 1,228 male babies and 17 female babies born with the name Preston.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 17 baby girls were named Preston in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

The history of the first name Preston

The name Preston has its origins in an Old English word "Preost" which means "priest". This name was derived from a surname which referred to the local parish priest or someone who lived near the priest's house or church. The earliest known recorded use of the name dates back to the late 12th century in England.

During the Middle Ages, the name Preston was commonly used in various regions of England, particularly in the northern counties. It was popularized as a given name among the clergy and those associated with the church. The name also appears in several historical records from this period, including parish registers and legal documents.

One of the earliest notable bearers of the name Preston was Sir Preston Banister, an English soldier and landowner who lived in the late 16th century (circa 1550-1629). Another prominent figure from history was Sir Preston Campbell, a Scottish military commander who fought in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms during the 17th century (1608-1668).

In the 18th century, Preston became more widespread as a first name among the general population. Some notable figures from this era include Preston Edes (1758-1842), an American merchant and politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts State Legislature, and Preston Brooks (1819-1857), an American politician and infamous for his assault on Senator Charles Sumner in the lead-up to the American Civil War.

During the 19th century, the name gained further popularity, particularly in the United States. One notable bearer was Preston King (1806-1865), an American politician and diplomat who served as a U.S. Senator from New York and later as the U.S. Minister to Italy. Another was Preston Sturges (1898-1959), an American writer, director, and comedian who was a prominent figure in the Golden Age of Hollywood.

As the name transitioned into the 20th century, it continued to be used across various English-speaking countries. One of the most famous bearers of the name was Preston Tucker (1903-1956), an American automobile entrepreneur and inventor who designed and built the innovative Tucker '48 sedan.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Preston was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Preston, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!