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

Pressey, 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 Pressey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pressey in America

Pressey is the 27110th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pressey surname appeared 893 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 Pressey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pressey 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 Pressey

The surname Pressey is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "preiseie," meaning "meadow" or "pasture." This suggests that the name was originally associated with someone who lived near or worked on a meadow or pastureland.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various medieval records, including the Hundredorum Rolls of Norfolk from 1273, where it appears as "Preisy." Other early spellings include "Preseye" and "Pressey," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling during that time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Pressey, a landowner from Norfolk, England, who was mentioned in the Feet of Fines records in 1316. Another notable individual was William Pressey, a merchant from London, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of 1379.

In the 16th century, the Pressey name was associated with the village of Pressey, located in Northamptonshire, England. It is believed that some families may have taken their name from this place, contributing to the growth and spread of the surname.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, several Pressey families emigrated from England to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Samuel Pressey, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. Another notable figure was Benjamin Pressey, a Puritan minister born in England in 1663, who later became the president of Harvard College in Massachusetts.

Other notable individuals with the Pressey surname include:

1. Edward Pressey (1719-1795), an English painter and engraver known for his landscape paintings.
2. Rachel Pressey (1804-1888), an American educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded the Pressey Female Seminary in Vermont.
3. William Pressey (1830-1919), an English-born Australian politician and member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland.
4. Edward Pressey (1872-1942), an American psychologist and educator, known for his contributions to the field of educational psychology and teaching methods.
5. Rachel Pressey (1885-1972), an American social worker and philanthropist, who established the Pressey House, a settlement house in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Pressey surname has a rich history spanning several centuries and continues to be found in various parts of the English-speaking world, reflecting the migrations and contributions of its bearers throughout the ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pressey

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

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

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

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