Preston Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Preston Name Meaning: Thought to have derived from the Anglo-Saxon word 'preoston' meaning 'priest settlement'.

May refer to someone who lived in a settlement that a priest lived in or a settlement owned by the church. This surname may have also been taken from a settlment of the same name (for example Preston in Lancashire).

Discover how your Preston ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Buckinghamshire 29
Cambridgeshire 105
Channel Islands 16
Cheshire 295
Cornwall 10
Cumberland 66
Derbyshire 76
Denbighshire 3
Devon 135
Dorset 18
Durham 153
Essex 46
Flintshire 19
Glamorgan 14
Gloucestershire 234
Hampshire 159
Herefordshire 3
Hertfordshire 117
Hunts and Rutland 73
Isle of Man 32
Kent 55
Lancashire 1,658
Leicestershire 514
Lincolnshire 191
London 606
Middlesex 34
Monmouthshire 2
Northumberland 38
Norfolk 172
Northamptonshire 75
Nottinghamshire 135
Oxfordshire 104
Radnorshire 1
Shropshire 152
Suffolk 65
Somerset 55
Surrey 30
Sussex 16
Staffordshire 380
Warwickshire 114
Westmorland 99
Wiltshire 60
Worcestershire 42
Yorkshire 1,770
Anglesey 0
Bedfordshire 0
Brecknockshire 0
Berkshire 0
Carnarvonshire 0
Cardiganshire 0
Carmarthenshire 0
Merionethshire 0
Montgomeryshire 0
Pembrokeshire 0

Preston Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Preston family

Profession Census Frequency
Agricultural Labourer 398
Female Servant 265
Independent 216
Labourer 140
Male Servant 113
Farmer 95
Cotton Weaver 89
Weaver 80
Shoe Maker 73
Dress Maker 35
Carpenter 33
Frame Work Knitter 32
Tailor 29
Wool Comber 25
Ag Labourer 25
Coal Miner 25
Ag Lab 23
Joiner 23
Clothier 23
Gardener 22
Servant 21
Publican 21
Painter 20
Butcher 19
Cotton Spinner 17

Most Frequent Forenames for Preston

Name Census Frequency
Mary Preston 6,824
William Preston 6,737
John Preston 6,617
Elizabeth Preston 4,366
Thomas Preston 3,956
Sarah Preston 3,643
James Preston 3,250
George Preston 3,218
Ann Preston 2,423
Joseph Preston 2,121
Jane Preston 1,994
Charles Preston 1,792
Henry Preston 1,689
Robert Preston 1,660
Alice Preston 1,593
Margaret Preston 1,502
Annie Preston 1,457
Ellen Preston 1,453
Eliza Preston 1,277
Emma Preston 1,247
Hannah Preston 1,199
Edward Preston 1,119
Richard Preston 1,074
Samuel Preston 1,041
Arthur Preston 986

Preston Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Preston 100% 102,963
2 Priston 86% 2,351
3 Pearston 63% 374
4 Parston 71% 338
5 Perston 71% 219
6 Prestone 88% 132

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The surname Preston is the most popular version of all its varients

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