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

Presson, 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 Presson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Presson in America

Presson is the 13418th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Presson surname appeared 2,271 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 Presson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Presson 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 Presson

The surname Presson has its origins in England, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "presse," which referred to a winepress or a device used for pressing grapes or other fruits to extract their juices. This connection suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to individuals who operated or owned such presses.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Presson can be found in medieval records from various counties in England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. One notable example is the mention of a Robert Presson in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301. Another early reference is found in the Poll Tax Returns of Nottinghamshire from 1379, which lists a John Presson.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, variations in spelling were common, and the name appeared in various forms, such as Pression, Pressone, and Pressoun. These variations likely reflect regional dialects and the phonetic transcription of the name by scribes or record-keepers of that era.

One of the earliest known individuals bearing the surname Presson was William Presson, who lived in the village of Langley, Derbyshire, in the late 15th century. Records show that he was a landowner and a prominent figure in the local community.

In the 16th century, the name Presson appeared in several historical documents, including the Feet of Fines for Lincolnshire from 1544, which mentions a Thomas Presson. Another notable figure from this period was John Presson, a merchant from York who was involved in the wool trade and is mentioned in the city's records from the 1570s.

As the surname spread across England, it also became associated with certain place names. For instance, the village of Presson in Staffordshire is believed to have been named after an early inhabitant bearing the Presson surname.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Presson. One such figure was Edward Presson (1588-1650), a Puritan minister who served as the vicar of Leigh in Lancashire and was known for his religious writings.

Another significant figure was Sir John Presson (1625-1702), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Derbyshire in the late 17th century. He was involved in local politics and played a role in the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, John Presson (1734-1807) was a prominent merchant and shipowner from Bristol, England, who made a fortune in the West Indies trade. His son, also named John Presson (1768-1843), followed in his footsteps and became a successful merchant and banker in London.

Moving into the 19th century, William Presson (1802-1879) was a noted architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in the Midlands region of England.

While the surname Presson is not as common today as it was in its heyday, it still holds a significant place in English history and reflects the rich cultural heritage of the country's past.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Presson

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!