Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 2001

Precious

Gender Girl · 1% boys Rank 2025 #3,158 Trend ↓ Falling 24%
Rank 2025
#3,158
among girls · ↓577 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
51
named Precious · -26% vs 2024
How common
1 in 31,515
girls born in 2025
Peak year
2001
746 babies
All-time total
19,540
#1,087 all-time among girls
First recorded
1897
in Social Security records

Precious popularity over time

19,540 babies have been named Precious since 1897, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.130.250.380.518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s 11 – 11 1 – #1,519
1900s 55 – 55 6 +400% #1,397
1910s 113 21 134 13 +144% #1,321
1920s 208 21 229 23 +71% #1,551
1930s 138 – 138 14 -40% #1,562
1940s 168 – 168 17 +22% #1,797
1950s 165 – 165 17 -2% #2,174
1960s 326 – 326 33 +98% #1,571
1970s 1,020 6 1,026 103 +215% #831
1980s 3,555 34 3,589 359 +250% #433
1990s 6,305 15 6,320 632 +76% #377
2000s 5,454 22 5,476 548 -13% #392
2010s 1,456 22 1,478 148 -73% #957
2020s (to 2025) 419 6 425 71 -52% #2,186

Where Precious is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 48 0.03 outside top 500
2027 46 0.03 outside top 500
2028 44 0.03 outside top 500
2029 42 0.03 outside top 500
2030 41 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Precious

Precious is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #3,158 in 2025 with 51 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1897, 19,540 American babies have been named Precious. Its peak came in 2001, when 746 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Precious stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Precious?

The median living Precious is about 28 years old; half are between 21 and 36. An estimated 19 thousand people named Precious are alive in the United States today.

median 28 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Precious year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 51 #3,158 – –
2024 69 #2,581 – –
2023 70 #2,549 6 #11,911
2022 87 #2,186 – –
2021 84 #2,228 – –
2020 58 #2,847 – –
2019 90 #2,102 6 #11,789
2018 113 #1,810 – –
2017 111 #1,850 – –
2016 109 #1,881 6 #11,793
2015 131 #1,640 5 #13,553
2014 133 #1,620 – –
2013 145 #1,522 5 #13,578
2012 157 #1,455 – –
2011 199 #1,208 – –
2010 268 #957 – –
2009 367 #774 5 #13,975
2008 375 #784 – –
2007 501 #601 – –
2006 534 #551 – –
2005 529 #544 – –
2004 512 #560 5 #12,748
2003 553 #516 5 #12,274
2002 689 #423 7 #9,147
2001 746 #392 – –
2000 648 #436 – –
1995 620 #415 – –
1990 547 #452 8 #6,265
1985 377 #530 – –
1980 249 #692 7 #5,364
1975 106 #1,107 – –
1970 59 #1,615 – –
1965 37 #1,906 – –
1960 21 #2,704 – –
1955 18 #2,698 – –
1950 21 #2,174 – –
1945 14 #2,426 – –
1940 9 #3,161 – –
1935 9 #3,112 – –
1930 8 #3,597 – –
1925 23 #1,836 5 #4,743
1920 25 #1,695 – –
1915 10 #2,860 – –
1910 13 #1,321 – –
1905 5 #2,171 – –
1900 6 #1,885 – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Precious, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Precious?

The median living Precious is about 28 years old. Half of all living Preciouss are between 21 and 36 years old.

How many people named Precious are alive today?

An estimated 19 thousand people named Precious are alive in the United States, based on 19,540 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Precious in 2025?

Precious ranked #3,158 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 51 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Precious?

19,540 babies have been named Precious in the United States since 1897, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Precious most popular?

Precious peaked in 2001, when 746 newborns received the name.

Is Precious a boy or girl name?

Precious is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Precious rising or falling?

Precious is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Precious become more popular?

Precious is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 41 girls named Precious in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Precious

Names that sound and feel close to Precious: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Precious with similar names → More names starting with P →