Priest and clearing in the English surname account
The exact entry documents male and female given-name use alongside an English surname usually related to Priestley, with Old English priest and wood or clearing elements. This is the cited English surname interpretation associated with the name, not a universal history of every bearer. A separate Scottish place-name proposal is not treated as the personal name’s translation.
Origin
English
Licensed Oddity Software Baby Names Plus database. Cleaned and matched to this spelling; not independently verified. The source label may describe language, region, or tradition rather than a precise linguistic derivation.
Oddity Software · licensed source label.
English pronunciation
/ˈpɹɛsli/; /ˈpɹɛzli/
Directly documented English name reading. The guide is approximate; accents and each family’s preferred reading can differ. Both S and Z readings are recorded in the English entry, which explicitly includes male and female given-name uses.
Recorded English reading, as published. Accents and preferred pronunciations can differ.
Published name usage
Counts apply only to the exact spelling, place, year and recorded usage shown. Places are separate; these figures are never added into a worldwide total. Missing or suppressed records never mean zero.
Latest published record available for this spelling in each place and recorded usage
Place
Year
Recorded usage
Published births
Rank
Notes
Canada
2025
Girls
67 · preliminary
462
2025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Canada
2025
Boys
13 · preliminary
1642
2025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
France
2025
Boys
5 (rounded to 5)
5683
Counts are rounded to the nearest multiple of five. Ranks use unrounded publisher counts with randomly ordered ties; equally rounded counts can have different ranks. National coverage excludes Mayotte before 2012. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Automated direction labels are withheld for this rounded-count series. Rank basis: source published.
England & Wales
2025
Girls
22
1407
Published ranks differ from ranks calculated over visible rows. Counts retained; automated trend labels withheld. Rank basis: source published.
England & Wales
2025
Boys
50
702
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Northern Ireland
2024
Boys
3
404
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Scotland
2024
Girls
3
790
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Scotland
2025
Boys
4
647
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Ireland
2023
Girls
3
856
Names below three occurrences are unpublished. Accent recording changed in 2018; comparisons across that boundary may not describe the same spelling coverage. Counts refer to registrations in the year. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
Ireland
2025
Boys
4
676
Names below three occurrences are unpublished. Accent recording changed in 2018; comparisons across that boundary may not describe the same spelling coverage. Counts refer to registrations in the year. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Rank basis: source published.
United States
2025
Girls
1,362
225
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.
United States
2025
Boys
88
1808
Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts.
Canada, Ireland and France coverage includes confidently matched existing profiles only; unmatched spellings are awaiting review. French counts are rounded to five.
Sources & notes
Open an entry for its source, credit, licence and full qualifications. Different name traditions remain separate.
Meaning: Priest and clearing in the English surname account
Checked against cited source
The exact entry documents male and female given-name use alongside an English surname usually related to Priestley, with Old English priest and wood or clearing elements. This is the cited English surname interpretation associated with the name, not a universal history of every bearer. A separate Scottish place-name proposal is not treated as the personal name’s translation. Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names under CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Origin: English
Oddity Software · licensed source
Licensed Oddity Software Baby Names Plus database. Cleaned and matched to this spelling; not independently verified. The source label may describe language, region, or tradition rather than a precise linguistic derivation.
Licensed publication use; not an open-data license
English pronunciation: /ˈpɹɛsli/; /ˈpɹɛzli/
Checked against cited source
Directly documented English name reading. The guide is approximate; accents and each family’s preferred reading can differ. Both S and Z readings are recorded in the English entry, which explicitly includes male and female given-name uses.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Syllables: 2 (these documented English readings)
Checked against cited source
Directly documented English name reading. The guide is approximate; accents and each family’s preferred reading can differ. Both S and Z readings are recorded in the English entry, which explicitly includes male and female given-name uses.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Spelling variant: Preslea
Checked against cited source
Explicit spelling relationship in the reviewed English given-name entry. Each spelling retains separate statistics; pronunciation and personal preferences are not automatically transferred.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Spelling variant: Preslee
Checked against cited source
Explicit spelling relationship in the reviewed English given-name entry. Each spelling retains separate statistics; pronunciation and personal preferences are not automatically transferred.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Spelling variant: Presleigh
Checked against cited source
Explicit spelling relationship in the reviewed English given-name entry. Each spelling retains separate statistics; pronunciation and personal preferences are not automatically transferred.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Spelling variant: Presli
Checked against cited source
Explicit spelling relationship in the reviewed English given-name entry. Each spelling retains separate statistics; pronunciation and personal preferences are not automatically transferred.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Spelling variant: Preslie
Checked against cited source
Explicit spelling relationship in the reviewed English given-name entry. Each spelling retains separate statistics; pronunciation and personal preferences are not automatically transferred.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Spelling variant: Presly
Checked against cited source
Explicit spelling relationship in the reviewed English given-name entry. Each spelling retains separate statistics; pronunciation and personal preferences are not automatically transferred.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.
Credit: Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.
License: Statistics Canada Open Licence
Adaptation: Adapted from Statistics Canada, First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators, Table 17-10-0147-01, reference years 1991–2025. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.
Credit: Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.
License: CC BY 4.0
Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: joined the published count and rank indicators and matched unambiguous existing spellings. Source values retained.
Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.
Credit: Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.
License: Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab)
Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: column names and sex codes mapped and unique case-only spellings matched to existing profiles. Published rounded counts and ranks retained.