Precious
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- PRESH-us
- Origin
- English
- UK rank, 2025
- #1,280 for girls
- US rank, 2025
- #3,130 for girls
Precious is a girls' name of English origin, meaning “of great value”. In 2025 it ranked 1,280th for girls in the UK (26 babies) and 3,130th for girls in the US (51 babies).
What does Precious mean?
English: word name
“of great value”
An English word name meaning dearly loved or of great worth, also used as a term of endearment.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Precious a girl's or a boy's name?
Precious is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 26 girls and 4 boys in the UK and 51 girls in the US.
How popular is Precious in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,280among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 26about 1 in 11,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 18% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 26 girls in the UK were named Precious, making it the 1,280th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,121st. Its busiest year was 2006, with 104 girls. 4 boys were also named Precious in 2025 (4,301st for boys).
Half of all the girls named Precious in the UK since 1996 were born between 2005 and 2014. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
Among girls in 2025, it was 1,229th in England and Wales.
Precious in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26 | #1,280 |
| 2024 | 30 | #1,176 |
| 2023 | 31 | #1,151 |
| 2022 | 22 | #1,485 |
| 2021 | 29 | #1,231 |
| 2020 | 32 | #1,121 |
| 2019 | 42 | #926 |
| 2018 | 32 | #1,148 |
| 2017 | 55 | #784 |
| 2016 | 46 | #881 |
| 2015 | 60 | #723 |
| 2014 | 65 | #674 |
| 2013 | 68 | #651 |
| 2012 | 84 | #555 |
| 2011 | 83 | #550 |
| 2010 | 89 | #506 |
| 2009 | 79 | #546 |
| 2008 | 88 | #496 |
| 2007 | 103 | #439 |
| 2006 | 104 | #428 |
| 2005 | 85 | #473 |
| 2004 | 95 | #419 |
| 2003 | 82 | #461 |
| 2002 | 57 | #572 |
| 2001 | 26 | #929 |
| 2000 | 41 | #674 |
| 1999 | 25 | #947 |
| 1998 | 23 | #1,015 |
| 1997 | 24 | #969 |
| 1996 | 26 | #894 |
How popular is Precious in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #3,130among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 51about 1 in 32,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 27% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 51 girls in the US were named Precious, making it the 3,130th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,823rd. Its busiest year was 2001, with 746 girls. It first appears in the records in 1897.
It has been given to fewer girls each year for the last 3 years. 2025 had fewer girls named Precious than any year since 1969.
Half of all the girls named Precious in the US since 1880 were born between 1988 and 2003, the years shaded on the chart below.
Precious in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 51 | #3,130 |
| 2024 | 69 | #2,559 |
| 2023 | 70 | #2,517 |
| 2022 | 87 | #2,174 |
| 2021 | 84 | #2,212 |
| 2020 | 58 | #2,823 |
| 2019 | 90 | #2,090 |
| 2018 | 113 | #1,799 |
| 2017 | 111 | #1,842 |
| 2016 | 109 | #1,875 |
| 2015 | 131 | #1,636 |
| 2014 | 133 | #1,617 |
| 2013 | 145 | #1,514 |
| 2012 | 157 | #1,452 |
| 2011 | 199 | #1,204 |
| 2010 | 268 | #955 |
| 2009 | 367 | #774 |
| 2008 | 375 | #783 |
| 2007 | 501 | #600 |
| 2006 | 534 | #550 |
| 2005 | 529 | #544 |
| 2004 | 512 | #558 |
| 2003 | 553 | #516 |
| 2002 | 689 | #423 |
| 2001 | 746 | #392 |
| 2000 | 648 | #435 |
| 1999 | 687 | #406 |
| 1998 | 741 | #381 |
| 1997 | 639 | #410 |
| 1996 | 703 | #376 |
| 1995 | 620 | #414 |
| 1994 | 631 | #399 |
| 1993 | 594 | #422 |
| 1992 | 569 | #444 |
| 1991 | 574 | #445 |
| 1990 | 547 | #451 |
| 1989 | 496 | #478 |
| 1988 | 525 | #433 |
| 1987 | 427 | #501 |
| 1986 | 418 | #503 |
| 1985 | 377 | #529 |
| 1984 | 278 | #633 |
| 1983 | 268 | #639 |
| 1982 | 271 | #658 |
| 1981 | 246 | #692 |
| 1980 | 249 | #692 |
| 1979 | 188 | #829 |
| 1978 | 140 | #986 |
| 1977 | 132 | #1,016 |
| 1976 | 88 | #1,263 |
| 1975 | 106 | #1,100 |
| 1974 | 89 | #1,226 |
| 1973 | 66 | #1,450 |
| 1972 | 87 | #1,219 |
| 1971 | 65 | #1,528 |
| 1970 | 59 | #1,599 |
| 1969 | 31 | #2,296 |
| 1968 | 54 | #1,559 |
| 1967 | 38 | #1,905 |
| 1966 | 38 | #1,859 |
| 1965 | 37 | #1,887 |
| 1964 | 31 | #2,150 |
| 1963 | 30 | #2,171 |
| 1962 | 23 | #2,538 |
| 1961 | 23 | #2,542 |
| 1960 | 21 | #2,648 |
| 1959 | 15 | #3,103 |
| 1958 | 20 | #2,580 |
| 1957 | 10 | #3,929 |
| 1956 | 20 | #2,529 |
| 1955 | 18 | #2,634 |
| 1954 | 24 | #2,185 |
| 1953 | 16 | #2,698 |
| 1952 | 8 | #4,122 |
| 1951 | 13 | #2,936 |
| 1950 | 21 | #2,120 |
| 1949 | 29 | #1,766 |
| 1948 | 15 | #2,588 |
| 1947 | 16 | #2,529 |
| 1946 | 10 | #3,216 |
| 1945 | 14 | #2,338 |
| 1944 | 21 | #1,866 |
| 1943 | 16 | #2,250 |
| 1942 | 20 | #1,916 |
| 1941 | 18 | #1,954 |
| 1940 | 9 | #2,962 |
| 1939 | 15 | #2,125 |
| 1938 | 19 | #1,805 |
| 1937 | 15 | #2,101 |
| 1936 | 9 | #2,855 |
| 1935 | 9 | #2,924 |
| 1934 | 12 | #2,423 |
| 1933 | 14 | #2,160 |
| 1932 | 25 | #1,520 |
| 1931 | 12 | #2,425 |
| 1930 | 8 | #3,343 |
| 1929 | 21 | #1,765 |
| 1928 | 16 | #2,193 |
| 1927 | 29 | #1,522 |
| 1926 | 20 | #1,931 |
| 1925 | 23 | #1,794 |
| 1924 | 14 | #2,513 |
| 1923 | 18 | #2,091 |
| 1922 | 24 | #1,730 |
| 1921 | 18 | #2,120 |
| 1920 | 25 | #1,666 |
| 1919 | 24 | #1,649 |
| 1918 | 17 | #2,101 |
| 1917 | 16 | #2,099 |
| 1916 | 12 | #2,497 |
| 1915 | 10 | #2,687 |
| 1914 | 5 | #3,617 |
| 1913 | 7 | #2,538 |
| 1912 | 0 | – |
| 1911 | 9 | #1,656 |
| 1910 | 13 | #1,267 |
| 1909 | 5 | #2,208 |
| 1908 | 6 | #1,862 |
| 1907 | 6 | #1,820 |
| 1906 | 9 | #1,321 |
| 1905 | 5 | #1,930 |
| 1904 | 5 | #1,876 |
| 1903 | 6 | #1,592 |
| 1902 | 7 | #1,438 |
| 1901 | 0 | – |
| 1900 | 6 | #1,722 |
| 1899 | 0 | – |
| 1898 | 5 | #1,699 |
| 1897 | 6 | #1,384 |
Names like Precious
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Amber Piper Mia Princess Lily Autumn Jasmine Lara Erin Holly Scarlett Molly
Names related to Precious
More English names
Evelyn Hudson Ivy Harper Grace Violet Willow Daisy Poppy Riley Oakley Mason Cooper Ruby Hallie Hazel
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Precious: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/precious, updated 20 October 2026.