Precious

#3,130 for girls in 2025, 51 births · Last seen for boys in 2023 at #10,821
Given to girls 99.2% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1996 · 703 births
Debut · girls
6 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
19,393
since 1897

Precious over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Precious has never cracked the top 300 here.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201973peak #376, 1996girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#3,13051—
2024#2,55969—
2023#2,51770#10,8216
2022#2,17487—
2021#2,21284—
2020#2,82358—
2019#2,09090#10,8036
2018#1,799113—
2017#1,842111—
2016#1,875109#10,7446
2015#1,636131#12,0865
2014#1,617133—
2013#1,514145#12,1365
2012#1,452157—
2011#1,204199—
2010#955268—
2009#774367#12,4915
2008#783375—
2007#600501—
2006#550534—
2005#544529—
2004#558512#11,3565
2003#516553#10,8945
2002#423689#8,4567
2001#392746—
2000#435648—
1999#406687—
1998#381741—
1997#410639—
1996#376703—
1995#414620—
1994#399631#6,9687
1993#422594—
1992#444569—
1991#445574—
1990#452547#5,8238
1989#478496#5,6158
1988#433525#5,2008
1987#501427#6,9515
1986#503418—
1985#529377—
1984#633278—
1983#639268—
1982#658271—
1981#692246#5,4686
1980#692249#4,9407
1979#829188—
1978#986140—
1977#1,016132—
1976#1,26388—
1975#1,100106—
1974#1,22689—
1973#1,45066#4,5056
1972#1,21987—
1971#1,52865—
1970#1,59959—
1969#2,29631—
1968#1,55954—
1967#1,90538—
1966#1,85938—
1965#1,88737—
1964#2,15131—
1963#2,17230—
1962#2,53923—
1961#2,54323—
1960#2,64921—
1959#3,10415—
1958#2,58120—
1957#3,93010—
1956#2,53020—
1955#2,63518—
1954#2,18624—
1953#2,69916—
1952#4,1238—
1951#2,93713—
1950#2,12121—
1949#1,76729—
1948#2,58915—
1947#2,53016—
1946#3,21710—
1945#2,33914—
1944#1,86721—
1943#2,25116—
1942#1,91720—
1941#1,95418—
1940#2,9639—
1939#2,12515—
1938#1,80519—
1937#2,10115—
1936#2,8579—
1935#2,9269—
1934#2,42412—
1933#2,16114—
1932#1,52025—
1931#2,42712—
1930#3,3458—
1929#1,76621#3,9595
1928#2,19416—
1927#1,52329#4,2105
1926#1,93220#3,7086
1925#1,79523#4,1975
1924#2,51414—
1923#2,09118—
1922#1,73024—
1921#2,12018—
1920#1,66625—
1919#1,64924#4,1685
1918#2,10217#4,1795
1917#2,10016#3,5456
1916#2,49812#3,8975
1915#2,68810—
1914#3,6185—
1913#2,5407—
1912——
1911#1,6569—
1910#1,26713—
1909#2,2085—
1908#1,8626—
1907#1,8216—
1906#1,3219—
1905#1,9315—
1904#1,8775—
1903#1,5926—
1902#1,4387—
1901——
1900#1,7236—
1899——
1898#1,7005—
1897#1,3856—
1896——
1895——
1894——
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1880——
First appearance
1897

The first year at least five girls were named Precious! It came in at #1,385, and was given to 6 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1898–1899, when fewer than 6 girls a year got the name.

Where Precious is popular in 1973

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedMNIllinois: #1,035 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 11,702 girlsILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedWIMichigan: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedMINew York: #1,508 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 20,669 girlsNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedINOhio: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedOHPennsylvania: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #1,235 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 14,532 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedNEMissouri: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedMOKentucky: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedWVVirginia: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedKSArkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedARTennessee: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedOKLouisiana: #691 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 5,137 girlsLAMississippi: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedMSAlabama: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedALGeorgia: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedHITexas: fewer than 5 girls named Precious, so not publishedTXFlorida: #862 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 8,590 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Louisiana#691 · 1 in 5,137
  2. Florida#862 · 1 in 8,590
  3. Illinois#1,035 · 1 in 11,702
  4. California#1,235 · 1 in 14,532
  5. New York#1,508 · 1 in 20,669

Best ever in a state: #64 in District of Columbia, 1998.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Louisiana#69151 in 5,137
Florida#86251 in 8,590
Illinois#1,03561 in 11,702
California#1,23591 in 14,532
New York#1,50851 in 20,669
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Wisconsin———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Precious
Momentum · girls
Holding steady
  • 571 spots since 2024 (#2,559 → #3,130)
  • 307 spots since 2020 (#2,823 → #3,130)
  • 1,494 spots since 2015 (#1,636 → #3,130)
  • Biggest jump: 157 spots in 1979 (#986 → #829)
  • Biggest drop: 249 spots in 2011 (#955 → #1,204)
Rise & fade · girls
99 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1897
  • Peaked 1996 at #376 (703 births)
  • Births halved by 2010, 14 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 33 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 33 yrs · run 1978–2010
Share of babies · girls
1 in 2,385
  • Highest: 1 in 2,385 girls born in 1998 were named Precious (0.04%)
  • Latest: 1 in 31,515 girls born in 2025 (0.00%)
  • Its best rank, #376 in 1996, was only 1 in 2,494 (0.04%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · girls
The 1990s
  • 32.5% of all girls named Precious (6,305) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1890s11#1,385 (1897)#1,543
1900s55#1,321 (1906)#1,753
1910s113#1,267 (1910)#2,235
1920s208#1,523 (1927)#1,933
1930s138#1,520 (1932)#2,369
1940s168#1,767 (1949)#2,339
1950s165#2,121 (1950)#2,885
1960s326#1,559 (1968)#2,156
1970s1,020#829 (1979)#1,222
1980s3,555#433 (1988)#576
1990s6,305#376 (1996)#415
2000s5,454#392 (2001)#558
2010s1,456#955 (2010)#1,598
2020s419#2,174 (2022)#2,569

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Precious in 1973

girls
#1,450
66 births · 1 in 22,094 girls
boys
#4,505
6 births · 1 in 259,763 boys

Top girls' names in 1973

  1. #1Jennifer62,448
  2. #2Amy26,962
  3. #3Michelle26,935
  4. #4Kimberly23,531
  5. #5Lisa22,677
  6. #6Melissa22,479
  7. #7Angela20,898
  8. #8Heather19,347
  9. #9Stephanie17,263
  10. #10Rebecca14,868
  11. #1,450Precious66

Top boys' names in 1973

  1. #1Michael67,797
  2. #2Christopher48,313
  3. #3Jason46,683
  4. #4James42,836
  5. #5David41,082
  6. #6John39,165
  7. #7Robert38,698
  8. #8Brian35,686
  9. #9William28,018
  10. #10Matthew24,531
  11. #4,505Precious6
More about 1973

girls

1,458,209 girls got a published name in 1973; 1 in 22,094 of them was named Precious, which outranked 85.2% of the 9,810 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.7% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Precious
  1. #1,444Moira67
  2. #1,444Shantelle67
  3. #1,444Shena67
  4. #1,450Precious66
  5. #1,450Buffie66
  6. #1,450Charleen66
  7. #1,450Cyndi66
  8. #1,458Brandon65
  9. #1,458Cinnamon65
  10. #1,458Cotina65

Tied with 7 names at #1,450; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1972
Risers
  1. ↑ 4,091Cicely#4,793 → #702
  2. ↑ 2,295Aubrey#3,177 → #882
  3. ↑ 1,847Nyree#2,680 → #833
  4. ↑ 1,533Danyell#2,523 → #990
  5. ↑ 1,496Vonetta#2,311 → #815
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,814Camisha#815 → #2,629
  2. ↓ 470Andra#904 → #1,374
  3. ↓ 416Cherilyn#823 → #1,239
  4. ↓ 284Keena#848 → #1,132
  5. ↓ 281Nicolle#734 → #1,015

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,558,576 boys got a published name in 1973; 1 in 259,763 of them was named Precious, which outranked 23.3% of the 5,877 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 26.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Precious
  1. #4,054Zakary7
  2. #4,054Zalmen7
  3. #4,054Zubin7
  4. #4,505Precious6
  5. #4,505Abdu6
  6. #4,505Abelino6
  7. #4,505Able6
  8. #5,101Abdalla5
  9. #5,101Abiel5
  10. #5,101Abrahm5

Tied with 595 names at #4,505; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1972
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,348Vashon#3,152 → #804
  2. ↑ 1,405Jory#2,158 → #753
  3. ↑ 348Pernell#1,262 → #914
  4. ↑ 345Enoch#1,307 → #962
  5. ↑ 273Tarik#1,177 → #904
Fallers
  1. ↓ 669Jabbar#917 → #1,586
  2. ↓ 361Wes#993 → #1,354
  3. ↓ 326Paris#797 → #1,123
  4. ↓ 284Christophe#984 → #1,268
  5. ↓ 272Bennett#851 → #1,123

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1973 →