Precious
First Name Meaning, Usage, Popularity & Related Names
Precious is an English name meaning “of great value”. It is a common name, predominantly used for girls, with 92.99% female usage.
Meaning & Origin of the name Precious
Precious is a name of English origin that emerged as a virtue-based endearment. It derives from the Latin word 'pretiosus', signifying high value, worth, or rarity. The name transitioned from a common term of affection into a formal given name during the 20th century.
Meaning Comments
- Troll_fire10: Honestly, it just sounds tacky and cheesy. I'd use it on a pet but not a child.
- Str_pk_lt_ow: Best suits a dog, not a human child.
- Lietuvaite63: Heavenly cute! 10/10.
Gender Usage of the Name Precious
Overall Gender Classification Methodology
Precious is predominantly used as a name for girls. Approximately 92.99% of recorded bearers are female. This classification is supported by extensive records and is considered highly reliable.
Popularity of the Name Precious
Note: Green bars show popularity (% of births); the violet line shows historical ranking. Data is based on official government birth records. Click any chart to view details by year and region.
Overall PopularityMethodology
Precious is listed under Common Girl Names worldwide. Its popularity is relatively consistent across the available regional markets.
| Region | Popularity | Birth Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Common | 1 in every 22K births |
| United Kingdom | Popular | 1 in every 3.0K births |
| Canada | Popular | 1 in every 28K births |
| Australia | Common | 1 in every 266K births |
Ranking OverviewMethodology
Precious ranked #2,127 on the Popular Girls’ Names Worldwide List (2025). It rose from #2,372 in 2024 — an improvement of 245 places. Precious shows meaningful recent movement in rank, though it remains uncommon overall.
Historically, its best recorded position was #358 in 1999. Its lowest recorded position was #3,046 in 2023. Over the last 5 years (2020–2025) the name fell -1388 places (from #739 to #2,127).
Name StyleMethodology
Precious is classified as Classic Girl Names because it appears in 74% of available years and remains active today, averaging 312 births per year after a historical peak in 1999.Characteristics of the Name Precious
Pronunciation & StructureMethodology
- Phonetic Source
- CMU
- Syllables
- 2 syllables — Two-Syllable Girl Names
- Length
- 8 letters — Long Girl Names
- Starts with
- P — Girl Names Starting with P
- Ends with
- s — Girl Names Ending in “s”
Name AestheticMethodology
Precious is a two-syllable, trochaic name that carries an affectionate, melodic quality. Its cultural recognition is heavily influenced by the 2009 film Precious, which lends the name a poignant, Beautiful & Charming resonance. The soft sibilant ending enhances its gentle auditory profile.
Middle Names For Precious
Middle names used with PreciousMethodology
Precious is most frequently used with these girl middle names: Precious Nicole · Precious Monique · Precious Marie · Precious Denise · Precious AnnView all 305 girl middle names.
- Total 385 middle names used with Precious
- 18 boy middle names used with Precious
- 32 unisex middle names used with Precious
Middle name suggestions for PreciousMethodology
Based on observed first-middle-name pattern combinations, Precious is most frequently associated with girl middle names that have Strong stress pattern, 5 letters, and a starting sound of “m”.
Examples: Precious Moore · Precious Mills · Precious Marsh · Precious Marks · Precious Moose. View all 101 suggested middle names.
Associations of the Name Precious
Natural Name MatchesMethodology
The complete dataset includes 6 biological records matching the name Precious. None belong to the curated biological families used to classify Flower-, Tree-, or Bird-Inspired Names. These records are provided for reference only.
Names Similar to Precious
Sound Like Precious Finder
Names with the exact same overall pronunciation and sound: Persis · Priseis · Preciosa · View all 6 names
Same Starting Sound Finder
Names that begin with a similar phonetic sound: Patricia · Pamela · Paula · View all Top 100 names
Rhymes With Precious Finder
Names that share similar ending sounds and rhymes: Alice · Grace · Frances · View all Top 100 names
Same Rhythm & Syllables Finder
Names with matching syllable stress and pronunciation rhythm: Mary · Linda · Sarah · View all Top 100 names
Dictionary & Etymology of “Precious”
Dictionary Meaning of "Precious"Methodology
A surname transferred from the nickname, originating as a male or female nickname
A female given name from English
Examples
- She and Mma Ramotswe were fortunate, with their reasonably straightforward names of Grace and Precious respectively; she had contemporaries who were not so fortunate and had been saddled by their parents with names that were frankly ridiculous.
More Info
How to Spell Precious in ASL
- P
- r
- e
- c
- i
- o
- u
- s
Comments on the name Precious
Community CommentsShowing 5 of 19 comments
Fastcoldfly
This name is also frequently used as a feminine name in South Africa, either as a translation of various non-English names, as an English name in addition to a birth-name(s), or as a name in its own right. Alongside other virtue-names, it's extremely common here!
Warhero2234
My name is Precious & I was born premature 24 weeks, with one heart chamber, 1 lb and 10 oz. I was always called a Miracle Baby.
Lordtord1000
The name Precious was given to 129 girls born in the US in 2015.
Teeny_sajay
The 'name' Precious was given to 154 poor little girls born in the US in 2012.
Xxninjabroxx
MASCULINE? This name is FEMININE.