Find out how popular the last name Preddy is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Preddy.
A variant spelling of the surname Preddy, derived from a medieval English nickname for someone short or small.
Preddy, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Preddy surname is from the 2010 census data.
Preddy is the 39659th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Preddy surname appeared 554 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Preddy.
We can also compare 2010 data for Preddy to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 39659 | 35522 | 11.01% |
Count | 554 | 599 | -7.81% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.19 | 0.22 | -14.63% |
The surname Preddy is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Somerset, during the medieval period. It is thought to derive from the Old English word "predy," which means "proud" or "arrogant." This suggests that the name may have initially been a nickname given to someone with a boastful or haughty demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Preddy can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset in 1327, where a John Preddy is listed. This indicates that the surname was already in use by the early 14th century in that region.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various parish records across Somerset, such as the baptismal record of Joanna Preddy in Yeovil in 1564. The spelling variations at the time included Predy, Priddie, and Preddye, reflecting the inconsistencies in written records before standardized spelling became more common.
While no notable historical figures with the surname Preddy have been widely documented, there are several individuals who have borne this name throughout history. For instance, William Preddy, born in 1805 in Somerset, was a farmer and landowner who played a role in the local community. Another notable figure was John Preddy (1818-1891), a successful merchant and businessman from the same county.
In the 19th century, the Preddy family seemed to have a strong presence in the village of Martock, Somerset. Records show that a Thomas Preddy (1811-1887) was a prominent figure in the local agricultural community, while his son, also named Thomas Preddy (1842-1923), followed in his footsteps as a respected farmer in the area.
As the Preddy name spread beyond Somerset, it can be found in various parts of England, particularly in the neighboring counties of Dorset and Devon. One notable individual was Robert Preddy (1880-1958), a businessman and philanthropist from Devonshire who made significant contributions to local charities and organizations.
While the surname Preddy is not among the most common English surnames, it has maintained a presence throughout the centuries, primarily concentrated in the southwestern regions of England. Its origins as a descriptive nickname reflect the rich linguistic heritage of the English language and the fascinating stories behind many surname etymologies.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Preddy.
The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Preddy was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 81.77% | 453 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | 13.18% | 73 |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | 1.26% | 7 |
Hispanic Origin | 3.25% | 18 |
Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.
Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Preddy has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 81.77% | 84.64% | -3.45% |
Black | 13.18% | 11.19% | 16.33% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
Two or More Races | 1.26% | 1.17% | 7.41% |
Hispanic | 3.25% | 2.00% | 47.62% |
The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.
The history and meaning of the name Preddy was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/preddy-surname-popularity/">Preddy last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Preddy last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 16, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/preddy-surname-popularity/.
"Preddy last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/preddy-surname-popularity/. Accessed 16 July, 2025
Preddy last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/preddy-surname-popularity/.
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