Preston

“Priest's settlement” — Old English origin

Boy's name · #299 in the US (2025) · 2000s

Preston's best rank, #114, came in 2006; it has settled back to #299 today. Roughly 123,000 boys have been named Preston since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Around the world: about 1 in 2,000 boys in Canada (2024) · about 1 in 4,700 boys in Ireland (2025) · about 1 in 4,900 boys in Scotland (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 43 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Prestons

Preston Sturges — American film director and screenwriter (1898-1959)
Preston Foster — American actor, vocalist (1900-1970)
Preston Tucker — American businessman (1903-1956)
Preston Brooks — South Carolina politician. (1819–1857)
Preston Smith — governor of Texas (1912-2003)

In stories & tradition

Preston Burke — Grey's Anatomy
Preston Stormer — Hero Factory
Preston — A Close Shave

What Prestons become

Among 286 notable people named Preston:

Sports figures appear 1.89× more often than among typical names — e.g. Preston Shumpert, American-born, naturalised-Turkish professional basketball player.

Similar names: Brady · Prince · Blake · Ashton · Clayton · Paxton

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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