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BabyNames
Boy name#271 of boy names

Preston

Pronounced P R EH1 S T AH0 N (ARPABET)

  • 2 syllables
  • Peaked 2007
  • 145 years in use
  • 1 spelling
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How popular is Preston?

Preston is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 123,205 children — the 271st most common boys' name on record.

It has been slipping, down 46% on the previous decade. Its best single year was 2007, when 3,835 children were given it.

Presten is counted with it here, since the two are pronounced identically.

01,2502,5003,7505,00018901920195019802010
2007Boys: 3,835Girls: 17

Spelling variants

These spellings sound identical to Preston and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.

  • Presten

Characteristics

  • 2 syllables
Phonetic detail
Pronunciations:
P R EH1 S T AH0 N · P R IY1 S T EH1 N
Stress pattern:
10 · 11
Syllables:
2

Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.

Names like Preston

Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.

Sibling names for Preston

Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.

Frequently asked questions

How popular is the name Preston?
Preston ranks 271st among boys' names in US records, with 123,205 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 17,401.
Is Preston a unisex name?
No. Preston is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
When was Preston most popular?
2007, when 3,835 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
How else is Preston spelled?
Presten. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.