Boys' name · since 1880
Preston
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 122,958 babies named Preston, peaking in 2007. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #273 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #299 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 122,958
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
122,958 babies have been named Preston since 1880, making it today's #299 boys' name.
Preston has 122,958 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #299 as of the latest data, more common than 98% of boys, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #273 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #299 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 122,958 born since 1880
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Preston ranks #273 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #299 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 122,958 born since 1880, peaking in the 2000s.
- #273 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #299 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 122,958
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
Preston's 122,958 recorded births place it above 99.39% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
51 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Preston compares
122,958 Top 2% higher than 98% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Preston's all-time total is 333x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Preston | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 122,958 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 3,797 | 34 | 22,252 |
Preston's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Preston's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 85% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 15%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1881, with only 36 births recorded -- set against the 2007 peak of 3,797, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Preston popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2007)
- 3,797
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Preston popularity over time - girls
799 total births recorded since 1916 (Preston as girls' name)
Preston by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (30,332 births, 25% of the file).
2000s was Preston's strongest decade.
30,332 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Preston births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 458
1880s
458 births
- 1890s 514
1890s
514 births
- 1900s 739
1900s
739 births
- 1910s 3,049
1910s
3,049 births
- 1920s 4,235
1920s
4,235 births
- 1930s 3,441
1930s
3,441 births
- 1940s 4,502
1940s
4,502 births
- 1950s 5,164
1950s
5,164 births
- 1960s 4,783
1960s
4,783 births
- 1970s 5,483
1970s
5,483 births
- 1980s 10,236
1980s
10,236 births
- 1990s
1990s
17,088 births
- 2000s
2000s
30,332 births
- 2010s
2010s
25,049 births
- 2020s 7,885
2020s
7,885 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 30,332 births (25% of all-time use).
How Preston compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Preston's total volume
Preston by state
Where Preston concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 12,807 | 10.4% |
| #2 | California | | 8,505 | 6.9% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 5,349 | 4.4% |
| #4 | Florida | | 5,270 | 4.3% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 5,213 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 4,411 | 3.6% |
| #7 | Virginia | | 4,197 | 3.4% |
| #8 | New York | | 4,026 | 3.3% |
12,807 of 122,958 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Preston appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Preston? ▼
Where does Preston sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Preston most popular? ▼
Where is Preston most popular? ▼
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What to do with Preston's data
- Preston's decade-level peak was the 2000s (30,332 total births); usage has since declined to 7,885 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Prestons (12,807 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Preston
Nearby Names Like Preston
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Preston
Compare Preston side by side: Preston vs Presley Preston vs Prentice Preston vs Prentiss
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Preston
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Preston: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2007)
Similar record span (~145 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Preston draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.