Unisex · #218 in 2026

Presley

Presley is a surname and given name.

Current Rank
#218
Peak Rank
#188 (2014)
Total Babies
33K
5-Yr Trend
-3%
👧 Girl peak #188 (33K total)
👦 Boy peak #706 (5K total)
👧As Girl Name
1977
First Year
2026
Last Year
2014
Peak Year
#188
Peak Rank
33K
Total Count
43
Years Active
👦As Boy Name
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
2009
Peak Year
#706
Peak Rank
5K
Total Count
128
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Presley

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Presley is a surname and given name.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
The name Presley is derived from the Old English preost , meaning "priest", and leah meaning "forest clearing".
Origin & history
Most instances of the surname Presley and variants Pressley and Pressly are thought to be of English origin. Later, if not found in some form originating also in Scotland , the name made its way across the border to that country, then on to Ireland and to the United States . However, some of the instances of the name in America may derive from the German surname Preslar (ultimately from Bressler, meaning 'from Breslau ' (formerly in Germany, now in Poland)), as individuals in some post-colonial American records are recorded under both names. The surname came to prominence in the person of Elvi

The Story of Presley

As a girl name

Presley first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1977, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2014, when 1,743 Presleys were born — ranking #190 that year. As of 2026, Presley ranks #218 for girls with 1,418 births, holding steady (-3%). In total, more than 33K Presleys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Presley first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1880, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2009, when 160 Presleys were born — ranking #1,143 that year. As of 2026, Presley ranks #1,691 for boys with 100 births, gradually falling (-13%). In total, more than 5K Presleys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Notable people named Presley

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Presley Askew (1909–1994), American basketball and baseball coach
  • Presley Carson (1968–2024), retired Honduran football player
  • Presley Cash (born 1997), American musician and actress
  • Presley Cassell (born 2006), English rugby league footballer
  • Presley Chweneyagae (1984–2025), South African actor
  • Presley Ewing (1822 – 1854), American politician
  • Presley T. Glass (1824 – 1902), American politician
  • Presley Groves (1841–1915), American lawyer and politician

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Presley

Phonetically similar names — useful when Presley is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Presley

What does the name Presley mean?
Presley is a surname and given name.
How popular is Presley in 2026?
In 2026, Presley ranks #218 among girls' names in the U.S., with 1,418 babies given the name that year.
When was Presley most popular?
Presley reached its peak popularity in 2014, ranking #188 that year with 1,743 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Presley most popular?
Presley has historically been most popular in Wyoming, Oklahoma, Arkansas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Presley.
Is Presley a unisex name?
Yes — Presley is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 87% of Presleys assigned female and 13% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Presley?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Presley include Bernadette, Jewell, Lana. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Presley

Presley is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1977 and has accumulated 33K births in the dataset. Presley's peak popularity came in 2014 when it ranked #188. Use the chart and map above to compare Presley's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.