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
- Peak · girls
- 1996 · 703 births
- Debut · girls
- 6 births
- In top 100 · girls
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 19,393since 1897
Precious over time
Rank among girls' names. Precious has never cracked the top 300 here.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #3,130 | 51 | — | |
| 2024 | #2,559 | 69 | — | |
| 2023 | #2,517 | 70 | #10,821 | 6 |
| 2022 | #2,174 | 87 | — | |
| 2021 | #2,212 | 84 | — | |
| 2020 | #2,823 | 58 | — | |
| 2019 | #2,090 | 90 | #10,803 | 6 |
| 2018 | #1,799 | 113 | — | |
| 2017 | #1,842 | 111 | — | |
| 2016 | #1,875 | 109 | #10,744 | 6 |
| 2015 | #1,636 | 131 | #12,086 | 5 |
| 2014 | #1,617 | 133 | — | |
| 2013 | #1,514 | 145 | #12,136 | 5 |
| 2012 | #1,452 | 157 | — | |
| 2011 | #1,204 | 199 | — | |
| 2010 | #955 | 268 | — | |
| 2009 | #774 | 367 | #12,491 | 5 |
| 2008 | #783 | 375 | — | |
| 2007 | #600 | 501 | — | |
| 2006 | #550 | 534 | — | |
| 2005 | #544 | 529 | — | |
| 2004 | #558 | 512 | #11,356 | 5 |
| 2003 | #516 | 553 | #10,894 | 5 |
| 2002 | #423 | 689 | #8,456 | 7 |
| 2001 | #392 | 746 | — | |
| 2000 | #435 | 648 | — | |
| 1999 | #406 | 687 | — | |
| 1998 | #381 | 741 | — | |
| 1997 | #410 | 639 | — | |
| 1996 | #376 | 703 | — | |
| 1995 | #414 | 620 | — | |
| 1994 | #399 | 631 | #6,968 | 7 |
| 1993 | #422 | 594 | — | |
| 1992 | #444 | 569 | — | |
| 1991 | #445 | 574 | — | |
| 1990 | #452 | 547 | #5,823 | 8 |
| 1989 | #478 | 496 | #5,615 | 8 |
| 1988 | #433 | 525 | #5,200 | 8 |
| 1987 | #501 | 427 | #6,951 | 5 |
| 1986 | #503 | 418 | — | |
| 1985 | #529 | 377 | — | |
| 1984 | #633 | 278 | — | |
| 1983 | #639 | 268 | — | |
| 1982 | #658 | 271 | — | |
| 1981 | #692 | 246 | #5,468 | 6 |
| 1980 | #692 | 249 | #4,940 | 7 |
| 1979 | #829 | 188 | — | |
| 1978 | #986 | 140 | — | |
| 1977 | #1,016 | 132 | — | |
| 1976 | #1,263 | 88 | — | |
| 1975 | #1,100 | 106 | — | |
| 1974 | #1,226 | 89 | — | |
| 1973 | #1,450 | 66 | #4,505 | 6 |
| 1972 | #1,219 | 87 | — | |
| 1971 | #1,528 | 65 | — | |
| 1970 | #1,599 | 59 | — | |
| 1969 | #2,296 | 31 | — | |
| 1968 | #1,559 | 54 | — | |
| 1967 | #1,905 | 38 | — | |
| 1966 | #1,859 | 38 | — | |
| 1965 | #1,887 | 37 | — | |
| 1964 | #2,151 | 31 | — | |
| 1963 | #2,172 | 30 | — | |
| 1962 | #2,539 | 23 | — | |
| 1961 | #2,543 | 23 | — | |
| 1960 | #2,649 | 21 | — | |
| 1959 | #3,104 | 15 | — | |
| 1958 | #2,581 | 20 | — | |
| 1957 | #3,930 | 10 | — | |
| 1956 | #2,530 | 20 | — | |
| 1955 | #2,635 | 18 | — | |
| 1954 | #2,186 | 24 | — | |
| 1953 | #2,699 | 16 | — | |
| 1952 | #4,123 | 8 | — | |
| 1951 | #2,937 | 13 | — | |
| 1950 | #2,121 | 21 | — | |
| 1949 | #1,767 | 29 | — | |
| 1948 | #2,589 | 15 | — | |
| 1947 | #2,530 | 16 | — | |
| 1946 | #3,217 | 10 | — | |
| 1945 | #2,339 | 14 | — | |
| 1944 | #1,867 | 21 | — | |
| 1943 | #2,251 | 16 | — | |
| 1942 | #1,917 | 20 | — | |
| 1941 | #1,954 | 18 | — | |
| 1940 | #2,963 | 9 | — | |
| 1939 | #2,125 | 15 | — | |
| 1938 | #1,805 | 19 | — | |
| 1937 | #2,101 | 15 | — | |
| 1936 | #2,857 | 9 | — | |
| 1935 | #2,926 | 9 | — | |
| 1934 | #2,424 | 12 | — | |
| 1933 | #2,161 | 14 | — | |
| 1932 | #1,520 | 25 | — | |
| 1931 | #2,427 | 12 | — | |
| 1930 | #3,345 | 8 | — | |
| 1929 | #1,766 | 21 | #3,959 | 5 |
| 1928 | #2,194 | 16 | — | |
| 1927 | #1,523 | 29 | #4,210 | 5 |
| 1926 | #1,932 | 20 | #3,708 | 6 |
| 1925 | #1,795 | 23 | #4,197 | 5 |
| 1924 | #2,514 | 14 | — | |
| 1923 | #2,091 | 18 | — | |
| 1922 | #1,730 | 24 | — | |
| 1921 | #2,120 | 18 | — | |
| 1920 | #1,666 | 25 | — | |
| 1919 | #1,649 | 24 | #4,168 | 5 |
| 1918 | #2,102 | 17 | #4,179 | 5 |
| 1917 | #2,100 | 16 | #3,545 | 6 |
| 1916 | #2,498 | 12 | #3,897 | 5 |
| 1915 | #2,688 | 10 | — | |
| 1914 | #3,618 | 5 | — | |
| 1913 | #2,540 | 7 | — | |
| 1912 | — | — | ||
| 1911 | #1,656 | 9 | — | |
| 1910 | #1,267 | 13 | — | |
| 1909 | #2,208 | 5 | — | |
| 1908 | #1,862 | 6 | — | |
| 1907 | #1,821 | 6 | — | |
| 1906 | #1,321 | 9 | — | |
| 1905 | #1,931 | 5 | — | |
| 1904 | #1,877 | 5 | — | |
| 1903 | #1,592 | 6 | — | |
| 1902 | #1,438 | 7 | — | |
| 1901 | — | — | ||
| 1900 | #1,723 | 6 | — | |
| 1899 | — | — | ||
| 1898 | #1,700 | 5 | — | |
| 1897 | #1,385 | 6 | — | |
| 1896 | — | — | ||
| 1895 | — | — | ||
| 1894 | — | — | ||
| 1893 | — | — | ||
| 1892 | — | — | ||
| 1891 | — | — | ||
| 1890 | — | — | ||
| 1889 | — | — | ||
| 1888 | — | — | ||
| 1887 | — | — | ||
| 1886 | — | — | ||
| 1885 | — | — | ||
| 1884 | — | — | ||
| 1883 | — | — | ||
| 1882 | — | — | ||
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | — | ||
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 1978
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
- Arkansas#323 · 1 in 1,797
- South Carolina#401 · 1 in 2,436
- Florida#500 · 1 in 3,386
- Alabama#511 · 1 in 3,625
- North Carolina#623 · 1 in 5,395
Best ever in a state: #64 in District of Columbia, 1998.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | #323 | 7 | 1 in 1,797 |
| South Carolina | #401 | 7 | 1 in 2,436 |
| Florida | #500 | 13 | 1 in 3,386 |
| Alabama | #511 | 6 | 1 in 3,625 |
| North Carolina | #623 | 6 | 1 in 5,395 |
| New York | #653 | 19 | 1 in 5,175 |
| Louisiana | #669 | 6 | 1 in 4,586 |
| Ohio | #874 | 6 | 1 in 11,492 |
| Texas | #978 | 11 | 1 in 9,399 |
| California | #1,161 | 13 | 1 in 11,795 |
| Illinois | #1,232 | 5 | 1 in 14,181 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Georgia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Michigan | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Missouri | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Pennsylvania | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Tennessee | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| 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
- 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)
- Debuted 1897
- Peaked 1996 at #376 (703 births)
- Births halved by 2010, 14 yrs later
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: never
- Top 1,000: 33 yrs · run 1978–2010
- 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
- 32.5% of all girls named Precious (6,305) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 11 | #1,385 (1897) | #1,543 |
| 1900s | 55 | #1,321 (1906) | #1,753 |
| 1910s | 113 | #1,267 (1910) | #2,235 |
| 1920s | 208 | #1,523 (1927) | #1,933 |
| 1930s | 138 | #1,520 (1932) | #2,369 |
| 1940s | 168 | #1,767 (1949) | #2,339 |
| 1950s | 165 | #2,121 (1950) | #2,885 |
| 1960s | 326 | #1,559 (1968) | #2,156 |
| 1970s | 1,020 | #829 (1979) | #1,222 |
| 1980s | 3,555 | #433 (1988) | #576 |
| 1990s | 6,305 | #376 (1996) | #415 |
| 2000s | 5,454 | #392 (2001) | #558 |
| 2010s | 1,456 | #955 (2010) | #1,598 |
| 2020s | 419 | #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 1978
Top girls' names in 1978
More about 1978
girls
1,531,859 girls got a published name in 1978; 1 in 10,942 of them was named Precious, which outranked 91.4% of the 11,475 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.5% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #981Kirstin141
- #981Tennille141
- #981Valencia141
- #986Precious140
- #986Camilla140
- #986Dixie140
- #986Jaimee140
- #992Bettina139
- #992Francisca139
- #994Kiana138
Tied with 5 names at #986; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.