2000
#118,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Presbury
An English locational surname derived from Presberry, a place in Devon.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Presbury. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Presbury 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.
Bearers in the US
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Presbury in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Presbury, the largest self-reported group is Black at 69.6%. The next largest groups are White (13.9%) and Two or More Races (10.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Presbury
The surname PRESBURY has its origins in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the late 12th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English words "preost" meaning "priest" and "bury" meaning "fortified town or dwelling place." This suggests that the name was originally associated with a person who resided in a priestly dwelling or a settlement where a church was located.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name PRESBURY can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1194, where it appears as "Prestburi." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time, reflecting the changes in language and pronunciation.
In the 13th century, the PRESBURY name was documented in the Curia Regis Rolls of Wiltshire in 1230, where it was spelled as "Prestybury." This record provides evidence of the name's presence in the region during that time period.
The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of lands and landholders commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the PRESBURY surname. However, it does mention several place names with similar etymological roots, such as Prestbury in Gloucestershire and Prestbury in Cheshire, which may have influenced the development of the surname.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the PRESBURY surname. One such figure was John Presbury (1512-1578), an English clergyman who served as the Bishop of St. David's in Wales during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another prominent individual was William Presbury (1623-1689), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Gloucester, known for his philanthropic contributions to the city and its churches.
In the 18th century, Samuel Presbury (1714-1801) was a respected lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in England.
The 19th century saw the emergence of Mary Presbury (1828-1903), a renowned author and poet whose works explored themes of nature and spirituality.
Lastly, in the 20th century, James Presbury (1912-1988) was a celebrated artist and sculptor, known for his abstract works and contributions to the modern art movement.
These historical figures and their accomplishments have played a role in preserving and shaping the legacy of the PRESBURY surname throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Presbury
Among Census respondents with the surname Presbury, the largest self-reported group is Black at 69.6%. The next largest groups are White (13.9%) and Two or More Races (10.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Presbury 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 Presbury surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American69.6% · 80
- White13.9% · 16
- Two or more races10.4% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Presbury
Presbury 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
-6 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,374 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-15 bearers (-11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,147 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,236 | 136 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 12,374 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.5%) | Down 15,147 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 Presbury 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 | #130,610 | #145,757 | -11.6% |
| Count | 130 | 115 | -11.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Presbury bearers went from 130 to 115 (-11.5% change). The surname moved down 15,147 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #145,757.
FAQ
Presbury surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Presbury?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Presbury. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Presbury?
Presbury ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Presbury. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Presbury.
Has Presbury become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Presbury went from 130 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 15 (-11.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Presbury?
Among Census respondents with the surname Presbury, the largest self-reported group is Black at 69.6%. The next largest groups are White (13.9%) and Two or More Races (10.4%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Presbury in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.6% (80 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Presbury appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (69.6%), White (13.9%), Two or More Races (10.4%). 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 Presbury (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 Presbury mean?
An English locational surname derived from Presberry, a place in Devon. 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 Presbury (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Presbury?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.