Boy · #4,960 in 2026

Priest

Name: Popularity of the name Priest in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Priest, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities.

Current Rank

#4,960

Peak Rank

#1,400 (2019)

Total Babies

579

5-Yr Trend

-19%

1971

First Year

2026

Last Year

2019

Peak Year

#1400

Peak Rank

579

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Priest

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

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

Etymology

The word "priest", is ultimately derived from Latin via Greek presbyter , the term for "elder", especially elders of Jewish or Christian communities in late antiquity . The Latin presbyter ultimately represents Greek πρεσβύτερος presbúteros , the regular Latin word for "priest" being sacerdos , corresponding to ἱερεύς hiereús . It is possible that the Latin word was loaned into Old English , and only from Old English reached other Germanic languages via the Anglo-Saxon mission to the continent, giving Old Icelandic prestr , Old Swedish präster , Old High German priast . Old High German also ha

The Story of Priest

Priest first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1971, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2019, when 50 Priests were born — ranking #2,581 that year. As of 2026, Priest ranks #4,960 for baby boys with 20 births, falling sharply (-19%). In total, more than 579 Priests have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Priest

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

Pressed
Priced
Preist
Prest
Proust
Prost
Prist
Prust
Prossed
Priests
Preached
Preset

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Priest

What does the name Priest mean?

How popular is Priest in 2026?

In 2026, Priest ranks #4,960 among boys' names in the U.S., with 20 babies given the name that year.

When was Priest most popular?

Priest reached its peak popularity in 2019, ranking #1,400 that year with 50 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Priest most popular?

Priest has historically been most popular in Michigan, Illinois, Ohio. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Priest.

Is Priest a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Priest is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Priest?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Priest include Joselito, Diondre, Marquell. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Priest

Priest is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1971 and has accumulated 579 births in the dataset. Priest's peak popularity came in 2019 when it ranked #1,400. Use the chart and map above to compare Priest'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.