The Preston surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 47,367 people carried this name — #736 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 6,230 people counted. That is up 3% from 45,850 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Preston surname

A habitational surname from Old English.

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

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Preston’.

An early record he cites: Laurence de Preston, Lincolnshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 621 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 17 births for the Preston name in 1890.

Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 800 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 10
Leinster 5
Munster 2

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

43 people named Preston live in Switzerland.

They live in 8 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Vaud.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Vaud 10
Basel-Landschaft 6
Basel-Stadt 6
Zug 6
Bern 5
Zurich 4
Geneva 3
Lucerne 3

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 35 people named Preston.

Most of them — 25 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 3 départements, most often Paris.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Born outside France 25
Paris 6
Doubs 2
Saône-et-Loire 2

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In Poland’s population register

23 people named Preston have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 67 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 7 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Silesian.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Silesian 5
West Pomeranian 5
Lubusz 4
Kuyavian-Pomeranian 3
Lower Silesian 2
Lublin 2
Pomeranian 2

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In the Nordic population registers

62 people named Preston is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 62

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Preston was found among the farmers of 6 counties.

It was most frequent in Lancashire: 25 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 400. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Lancashire 25
Norfolk 15
Yorkshire, West Riding 15
Nottinghamshire 12
Shropshire 10
Yorkshire, North and East Ridings 7

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In Scotland’s registers today

Preston was recorded 52 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 504th most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 61. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

150 families named Preston, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 874 people lived in those households, 5.8 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Connecticut 28
Massachusetts 25
Pennsylvania 24
New York 22
Vermont 19
New Hampshire 14
Maryland 7
Virginia 6
North Carolina 2
Maine 1
Rhode Island 1
South Carolina 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 258 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Preston in American newspapers,
1838–1915.

Newspaper page from The Hattiesburg News carrying the name Preston
The Hattiesburg News 1915-08-28
Newspaper page from The Mirror And Farmer carrying the name Preston
The Mirror And Farmer 1911-02-02
Newspaper page from Southern Telegraph carrying the name Preston
Southern Telegraph 1838-07-04

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 11,167 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Preston in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

72,488 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Preston. The most, 15,635, date from the 1930s.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 28,391
Victoria 17,156
Queensland 12,786
Western Australia 6,790
South Australia 4,215
Tasmania 2,422
ACT (Canberra) 455
Northern Territory 23

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

Who carried it

People named Preston,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Pressy Preston
    Pressy Preston d. 1946 · stage actor
  • William Preston
    William Preston d. 1871 · merchant
  • John Preston d. 1434 · judge
  • Thomas Preston d. 1610 · politician
  • Henry Preston d. 1434 · politician
  • John Preston d. 1798 · music publisher

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 Preston,
in the records of 9 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 States4,460 records

4,460 records of the Preston name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,544
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 792
  • Other U.S. records 2,124
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Johnny Calvin Preston

    Born 1939; from Ft Valley, Georgia. U.S. Army, armor reconnaissance specialist; killed in action 1967 in Quang Ngai, South Vietnam. Buried at Andersonville National Cemetery, Georgia.

    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 Ferol W. Preston

    Born 1912 in North Dakota. Enlisted 1943 at Los Angeles, California; driver. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1970, buried at Los Angeles National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Paul E. Preston

    Born 1908 in Iowa. Enlisted 1942 at Fort Crook, Nebraska; sales agent. U.S. Air Force veteran of World War II; died 1973, buried at Fort Logan National Cemetery, Colorado.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 4,460 records for Preston in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · 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).

Australia2,411 records

2,411 records of the Preston name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 1,329
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 450
  • Other Australian records 632
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Mary Preston

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Emma Eugenia, sailing from London in 1843. Native of Chudleigh, Devon. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1848. Married 1848 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 45.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record William Preston

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the David Lyon, sailing from London in 1830. Native of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1842.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record David Preston

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Asia, sailing from Portsmouth in 1827. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1836.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 2,411 records for Preston 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) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

Canada216 records

216 records of the Preston name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 74
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 39
  • Other Canadian records 103
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record George Henry Preston

    Killed in the Halifax Explosion of 1917, aged 38; buried at Camp Hill Cemetery, Halifax.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Sydney Preston

    Came to Ontario in 1867 aboard the Peruvian, landing at Quebec, bound for Bradford, Ontario; English.

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

    Buried in 1970 at Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, Nova Scotia, aged 80.

    Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax.

Showing 3 of 216 records for Preston in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

United Kingdom167 records

167 records of the Preston name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 106
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 29
  • Other British records 32
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary McNulty Preston

    Buried in 1965 at St Thomas Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 62.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Eveline Margaret Preston

    Will proved in 1929; of Llandudno, Carnarvon.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record William Preston

    Buried in 1851 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 54.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing 3 of 167 records for Preston in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

New Zealand61 records

61 records of the Preston name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 51
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 5
  • Other New Zealand records 5
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mable Rose Preston

    Buried in 1964 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 81.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Bridget Sarah Preston

    Died 1953, aged 77; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Elfreda Mary Preston

    Died 1963; buried at Kaiapoi Anglican Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 61 records for Preston in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Canterbury Maps (Environment Canterbury), Timaru and Mackenzie District Councils (CC BY 3.0 NZ) · Marlborough 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).

Netherlands56 records

56 records of the Preston name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 22
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 21
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 13
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Albert Scott Preston

    Married in 1836 in Rotterdam. Died 1875 in Rotterdam, aged 87.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Albertine Preston

    Born 1837 in Rotterdam. Married in 1861 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Albert Scott Preston

    Born 1839 in Rotterdam. Married in 1875 in Hillegersberg.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 56 records for Preston in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

France10 records

10 records of the Preston name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Edouard Paul Rene Preston

    Born 1923 in Paris; died 1995 in Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jennifer Preston

    Born 1955 in the United Kingdom; died 1991 in Montpellier (Hérault).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 10 records for Preston in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Belgium3 records

3 records of the Preston name in Belgium Belgian civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Bertha Preston

    Married in 1909 in Gent.

    Open Archives, Archief Gent (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 1 of 3 records for Preston in Belgium.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Norway1 record

1 record of the Preston name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Karl Preston

    Census of 1910: Sørhauggate, Haugesund; "gulsmedsvend", born 1874 in Bergen.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Preston.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Preston 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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