Priest: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#4,352

among boys · ↓189 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Priest · -8% vs 2024

How common

1 in 71,170

boys born in 2025

Peak year

2019

50 babies

All-time total

561

#7,368 all-time among boys

First recorded

1971

in Social Security records

Priest popularity over time

561 babies have been named Priest since 1971, 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

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	Boys	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–
1920s	–	–	–	–
1930s	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–
1960s	–	–	–	–
1970s	89	9	–	#1,424
1980s	5	1	-94%	#7,022
1990s	20	2	+300%	#5,865
2000s	116	12	+480%	#4,152
2010s	141	14	+22%	#2,614
2020s (to 2025)	190	32	+125%	#2,905

Where Priest is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (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 boys	Implied rank
2026	23	0.01	outside top 500
2027	22	0.01	outside top 500
2028	22	0.01	outside top 500
2029	21	0.01	outside top 500
2030	21	0.01	outside top 500

The story of Priest

Priest is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,352 in 2025 with 24 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1971, 561 American babies have been named Priest. Its peak came in 2019, when 50 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

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 Priest stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Priest?

The median living Priest is about 9 years old; half are between 4 and 22. An estimated 500 people named Priest are alive in the United States today.

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

Priest year by year

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

Year	Boys	Boys rank
2025	24	#4,352
2024	26	#4,163
2023	16	#5,861
2022	44	#2,905
2021	41	#3,013
2020	39	#3,017
2019	50	#2,614
2018	20	#4,880
2017	9	#8,656
2016	8	#9,461
2015	–	–
2014	11	#7,424
2013	10	#7,957
2012	5	#13,727
2011	15	#5,880
2010	13	#6,619
2009	8	#9,653
2008	11	#7,580
2007	9	#8,737
2006	13	#6,371
2005	22	#4,152
2004	18	#4,738
2003	8	#8,433
2002	9	#7,480
2001	11	#6,336
2000	7	#8,895
1995	5	#9,931
1990	–	–
1985	–	–
1980	5	#7,022
1975	12	#3,192
1970	–	–
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Priest?

The median living Priest is about 9 years old. Half of all living Priests are between 4 and 22 years old.

How many people named Priest are alive today?

An estimated 500 people named Priest are alive in the United States, based on 561 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Priest in 2025?

Priest ranked #4,352 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 24 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Priest?

561 babies have been named Priest in the United States since 1971, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Priest most popular?

Priest peaked in 2019, when 50 newborns received the name.

Is Priest a boy or girl name?

Priest is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Priest rising or falling?

Priest is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Priest become more popular?

Priest is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 21 boys named Priest in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Priest

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

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