The Presley surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 18,384 people carried this name — #1,968 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 16,100 people counted. That is up 4% from 17,687 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Presley surname

The English surname is usually a variant of Priestley, from Old English prēost (“priest”) + lēah (“wood, clearing”). The place-name in Scotland may be from Pictish, equivalent to Welsh prys (“bush”) + Welsh lle (“place”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Presley» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

In print

Presley in American newspapers,
1844–1926.

Newspaper page from Iowa Territorial Gazette And Advertiser carrying the name Presley
Iowa Territorial Gazette And Advertiser 1844-02-03
Newspaper page from The Daily Worker carrying the name Presley
The Daily Worker 1926-08-28
Newspaper page from Potosi Journal carrying the name Presley
Potosi Journal 1909-12-15

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 34,307 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Presley in Australian newspapers,
1850s–1980s.

2,141 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Presley. The most, 517, date from the 1900s. Victoria has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in the Northern Territory, at 77.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 1,032
Queensland 362
Northern Territory 200
New South Wales 187
Tasmania 157
South Australia 123
ACT (Canberra) 35
Western Australia 29

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Presley.

Who carried it

People named Presley,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Russell Alger Presley
    Russell Alger Presley 1888–1966
  • Margaret Woodbridge
    Margaret Woodbridge 1902–1995 · swimmer
  • Elvis Presley
    Elvis Presley 1935–1977 · singer
  • Reg Presley
    Reg Presley 1941–2013 · singer-songwriter
  • John Thomas Presley 1906– · botanist
  • Gladys Presley 1912–1958 · seamster

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Presley,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States861 records

861 records of the Presley name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 535
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 200
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 50
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 28
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 21
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 12
  • Irish Famine arrivals at New York, 1846–1851 6
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 6
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 2
  • Riverside Cemetery, Asheville (North Carolina) 1
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Andrew Lee Presley

    Born 1943; from Mobile, Alabama. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1969 in Quang Tin, South Vietnam. Buried at Mobile National Cemetery, Alabama.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Johnny L. Presley

    Born 1920 in Kentucky. Enlisted 1945 at Louisville; driver from Fatette County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at Camp Nelson National Cemetery, Kentucky.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Elisabeth Presley

    Arrived at New York in 1852 aboard the Senator from London, aged 30; servant. From England.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 861 records for Presley in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia35 records

35 records of the Presley name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 15
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 10
  • Tasmanian Names Index 6
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 4
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Charles Presley

    Arrived in Queensland in 1867 aboard the Samarang, aged 17.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Hume Parker Presley

    Retired salesman of Glenroy, Victoria; died 1986.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record John Presley

    Left Launceston in 1849 aboard the General Hewitt, bound for India, as a seaman.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 35 records for Presley in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).

Canada13 records

13 records of the Presley name in Canada
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 4
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 3
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 2
  • Ontario immigration records, 1865–1883 2
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 1
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record U.g Presley

    Came to Ontario in 1870 aboard the Germany, landing at Quebec, bound for Brampton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Louisa Presley

    Buried in 1987 at Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver, British Columbia.

    City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Albert Edward Presley

    Died in service in 1916.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 13 records for Presley in Canada.

Counts: City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom3 records

3 records of the Presley name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Margaretta Presley

    Will proved in 1932.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. Presley

    Northamptonshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Presley in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand2 records

2 records of the Presley name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 1
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Sarah Drusilla Presley

    Died 1936, aged 79; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 1 of 2 records for Presley in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Presley.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Presley is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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