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

Pressley, 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 Pressley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pressley in America

Pressley is the 2713th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pressley surname appeared 13,281 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Pressley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pressley 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 Pressley

The surname Pressley is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. The name is thought to derive from the Old English words "preost" meaning "priest" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who lived near a meadow or clearing belonging to a priest or church.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Huntingdonshire Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Prestesleye." This early spelling variation highlights the name's connection to the Old English words from which it originated.

During the 14th century, the name appeared in various records across different counties in England, such as the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where it was recorded as "Presteley." This suggests that the name had spread and become more widely used throughout the country.

The earliest known individual with the surname Pressley was John Pressley, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. Another notable early bearer of the name was Robert Pressley, mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1379.

As the centuries passed, the name continued to evolve and take on different spellings, including Pressley, Presly, Preslie, and Presley. One of the most famous individuals with this surname was Elvis Presley (1935-1977), the legendary American singer and actor often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll."

Other notable figures with the surname Pressley include Rachel Pressley (born 1955), an American author and journalist; Charles Pressley (1917-1995), an American blues singer and guitarist; and James Pressley (1913-1997), an American football player and coach.

It is worth noting that the surname Pressley has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Prestley in Cheshire and Prestleigh in Warwickshire, further reinforcing its potential connection to locations associated with priests or churches.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pressley

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

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

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

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