Presley

For many more names, please Return to Edgar's Main Page.

Presley

Gender: Masculine
Language: English
Etymology:
Presley comes from an English surname, Priestley, meaning “Priest’s Field” and referring to someone who lived near a field belonging to a priest.
-or-
Presley is an Anglicized form of the German surname Pressler. The surname Pressler means “from Breslau” or “from Pressel.”
-or-
Presley is an Anglicized form of the Yiddish surname Presler meaning “one who presses clothes” from “pres” (flat iron).

History:
Originally, Presley would have been bestowed upon sons as either a first or a middle name in order to honor the Jepson surname. For example, a woman named Mary Presley who married a man named John Smith, may name her son John Presley Smith, or merely Presley Smith. Or a man wishing to honor Judge Thomas Presley may name his son Thomas Presley Johnson, or Presley Johnson.

In later years, Presley may have been adopted in honor of singer Elvis Presley (1935-1977), but it would have been rare.

In the last few years Presley has been adopted as a feminine name, no doubt as part of the trend for treating every name that ends in “-ley” as feminine (Kelly, Beverly, Shirley, Ashley, Bailey, Riley, Harley, Hadley all originated as mostly masculine names)

Pronunciation: prez-lee, pres-lee.

Famous Bearers:
Singers and Entertainers:
Elvis Presley (1935-1977)
American singer.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
less than 0.004 % of males named Presley

0.007 % surnamed Presley
0.001 % surnamed Pressler
0.001 % surnamed Presler

Popularity of Presley, for males:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1880: N/A
1881: 706th most popular.
1882-1890: N/A
1891: 767th most popular.
1892-1902: N/A
1903: 783rd most popular.
1904-2004: N/A

Popularity of Presley, for females:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1880-1997: N/A
1998: 974th most popular.
1999: 964th most popular.
2000: 795th most popular.
2001: 808th most popular.
2002: 697th most popular.
2003: 663rd most popular.
2004: 558th most popular.