Find out how popular the last name Presley is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Presley.

Presley, 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 Presley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Presley in America

Presley is the 1968th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Presley surname appeared 18,384 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Presley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Presley 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.

The history of the last name Presley

The surname Presley is of English origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "preost", meaning "priest", and the suffix "-leah", meaning "woodland clearing" or "meadow". This suggests that the name may have referred to a priest's residence or land associated with a priest.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Presley can be found in the Rotuli Hundredorum, a census-like record from the late 13th century, where it appears as "de Presteleye". This indicates that the name was likely derived from a place name, as was common during that time period.

In the 14th century, the surname Presley appeared in various forms, such as "Presleye", "Prestley", and "Prestleigh", reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common before standardization.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Presley became more widely distributed across England. Notable individuals bearing this name included William Presley (1598-1672), a Puritan minister who served as the rector of Upwell in Norfolk, and John Presley (1617-1679), a Member of Parliament for Pembrokeshire in Wales.

In the 18th century, the Presley family had established themselves in various parts of England, including Hertfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Staffordshire. One notable figure from this period was Samuel Presley (1733-1808), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War.

As the Presley family spread across England, some members migrated to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was Richard Presley, who arrived in Virginia in the 1660s.

Other notable individuals with the surname Presley throughout history include:

1. Joseph Presley (1796-1865), an American farmer and the great-great-grandfather of Elvis Presley.
2. Abner Presley (1788-1854), an American farmer and the great-grandfather of Elvis Presley.
3. Jessie D. Presley (1896-1973), an American businessman and the father of Elvis Presley.
4. Vernon Presley (1916-1979), an American businessman and the father of Elvis Presley.
5. Elvis Presley (1935-1977), the legendary American singer and actor who popularized rock and roll music.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Presley

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Presley.

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:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Presley was:

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 Presley has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

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 Presley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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