2000
#9,287
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,227
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.20
Rare Last name
Preece
A Welsh patronymic surname meaning "son of Rhys," derived from the Old Welsh personal name Ris, meaning "ardor" or "enthusiasm."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,939 Americans carry the last name Preece. That puts it at #9,134 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,016 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Preece surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Preece with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 87,016
Census rank
#9,134
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,435 bearers of the surname Preece in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9134th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Preece, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Preece
The surname Preece has its origins in England, where it first emerged during the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Old English word "preost," meaning "priest." This suggests that the name originated as a descriptive surname for someone who lived near a priest's dwelling or church.
The Preece surname can be traced back to various regions of England, including Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Shropshire. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Prest" and "Praest."
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms such as "Preest," "Preste," and "Prest." Over time, the spelling evolved to its modern form, "Preece." This variation in spelling was common during the Middle Ages due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Preece surname is that of William Preece, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1195. Another notable early bearer of the name was Robert Preece, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1327.
In the 16th century, the Preece surname was associated with several notable individuals. John Preece (c. 1515-1569) was an English clergyman and an influential figure in the Protestant Reformation. He served as the Bishop of Peterborough from 1557 to 1559.
During the 17th century, the name Preece gained prominence in various fields. Humphrey Preece (1605-1666) was an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Worcestershire. Sir William Preece (1634-1715) was a prominent English jurist and served as the Chief Justice of the King's Bench from 1688 to 1701.
In the 18th century, the Preece surname was associated with several notable figures in the arts and sciences. William Preece (1719-1784) was an English painter known for his portraits and landscapes. Thomas Preece (1744-1812) was a Welsh mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
The 19th century saw the Preece surname gain further recognition in various fields. Sir William Preece (1834-1913) was a notable English electrical engineer and inventor. He played a crucial role in the development of telecommunication systems and is credited with pioneering the use of underground cables for telephone and telegraph lines.
Throughout its history, the Preece surname has been associated with various notable individuals, spanning diverse fields such as religion, politics, law, arts, and sciences. While the name's origins can be traced back to medieval England, its bearers have left an indelible mark on various aspects of society across different time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Preece
Among Census respondents with the surname Preece, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Preece bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Preece surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 3,181
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 115
- Two or more races2.6% · 88
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 22
- Black or African American0.6% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Preece
Preece appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,217
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,536
+309 bearers (+9.6%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Up 70 places
2020
#9,134
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,435
-101 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Up 83 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,287 | 3,227 | 1.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,217 | 3,536 | 1.20 | +309 bearers (+9.6%) | Up 70 places |
| 2020 | #9,134 | 3,435 | 1.15 | -101 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 83 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Preece surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,217 | #9,134 | 0.9% |
| Count | 3,536 | 3,435 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.20 | 1.15 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Preece bearers went from 3,536 to 3,435 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 83 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,217 to #9,134.
FAQ
Preece surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Preece?
Name Census estimates that about 3,939 living Americans carry the surname Preece. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 87,016 residents.
How common is Preece?
Preece ranks #9,134 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,435 people with the surname Preece. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,939), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Preece.
Has Preece become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Preece went from 3,536 recorded bearers to 3,435. That is a decrease of 101 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,217 to #9,134.
What does the Census say about the background of Preece?
Among Census respondents with the surname Preece, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Preece in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (3,181 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Preece appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Preece (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Preece mean?
A Welsh patronymic surname meaning "son of Rhys," derived from the Old Welsh personal name Ris, meaning "ardor" or "enthusiasm." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Preece (1.15 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Preece?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.