Preston is an English surname and place name from the Old English preost tun, meaning "priest's town" or "priest's settlement", the name of a city in Lancashire and many smaller villages. In America it has a polished, preppy ring and has been in steady use for decades. Preston ranked 142nd in 2000, peaked at number 114 in 2006 and has drifted down since to 299th place among boys' names in 2025.