Precious
How to say it: PRESH-us · /ˈprɛʃəs/
From the English word 'precious', meaning 'of great value'; derived from Latin 'pretiosus'.
Precious was the 2,251st most popular girls’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 51 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1990s, its births are down about 59% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #2,915 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among girls’ names, 2025 | #2,251 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 51 |
| Share of births | 1 in 65,006 |
| Peak decade | 1990s |
| Change over 10 years | −59% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #2,915 |
| In France, 2025 | #2,541 among girls’ names, 5 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Precious peaked in the 1990s and is less common today.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Precious is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in English, French.
In France: #2,541 for girls in 2025.
Famous people named Precious
- Precious Dede (born 1980)Nigerian association football player
- Precious Lara Quigaman (born 1983)Filipina beauty pageant titleholder
- Precious Wilson (born 1957)Jamaican singer
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Good to know
- Precious (2009), Oscar-winning drama whose abused heroine is Claireece 'Precious' Jones; the word-name evokes the film.
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