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

Press, 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 Press surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Press in America

Press is the 8308th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Press surname appeared 3,989 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Press.

We can also compare 2010 data for Press 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 Press

The surname Press originates from England and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "presse," which means "a press" or "a wine press." This occupation-based surname was likely first adopted by someone who worked as a presser of grapes or cloth.

The earliest recorded instance of the Press surname appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where a John le Presse is mentioned. Another early record is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, which lists a Roger le Presse.

In the 14th century, the surname was also recorded as "Presse" and "Presse," reflecting the variations in spelling common during that time. As people began to adopt hereditary surnames, the name may have been influenced by local place names such as Presse in Normandy, France.

Notable individuals with the Press surname include John Press (1676-1738), an English antique collector and author of "A Treatise on the Antiquities of Cyprus." Another is Sir Anthony Morris Storer Press (1770-1835), a British admiral who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

In the 19th century, Mordecai Press (1803-1884) was a Polish-born Jewish scholar and translator who settled in England. William Press (1811-1890) was a Scottish minister and author of several religious works.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Press surname in America is John Press, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. Later, Robert Press (1714-1766) was a prominent merchant and landowner in New Jersey.

Throughout its history, the Press surname has been associated with various occupations, including winemakers, clothiers, and pressers of goods, reflecting its roots as an occupation-based name derived from the Old French word "presse."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Press

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

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

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

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