Presley is a surname and given name.

Etymology

The name ''Presley'' is derived from the

Old English Old English ( or , or ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. It developed from the languages brought to Great Britain by Anglo-S ...

''preost'', meaning "priest", and ''leah'' meaning "forest clearing".

History

Most instances of the

surname In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

''Presley'' and variants ''Pressley'' and ''Pressly'' are thought to be of English origin. Later, if not found in some form originating also in

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, the name made its way across the border to that country, then on to

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

and to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. However, some of the instances of the name in America may derive from the German surname Preslar (ultimately from Bressler, meaning 'from Breslau' (formerly in Germany, now in Poland)), as individuals in some post-colonial American records are recorded under both names. The surname came to prominence in the person of

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

(known simply as Elvis), the American music icon, whose family, according to genealogists, has come from the German town of Neuhochstadt in Palatinate, via a certain Johannes Valentin Preslar that emigrated with his sons to

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

in the early 1700s. In the United States and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

, however, Presley is often an Anglicized form of German surnames such as Preslar and Presler. This is thought to be a habitational name from Breslau, Poland. Former President

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...

, through his mother, is thought to descend from Johann Valentin Preslar/Presler, who along with his family reached America and later the then frontier area of the central Carolinas sometime during the mid-18th century. Elvis Presley may have had the same ancestor. Today, Presley ranks as the 1,825 most common

in the

People with the surname

* Aeman Presley, American serial killer * Alex Presley, American baseball player * Annette Presley, New Zealand businesswoman *

Brandon Presley Brandon Everitt Presley (born July 21, 1977) is an American politician who served as a member of the Mississippi Public Service Commission from the Northern District from 2008 to 2024 and mayor of Nettleton, Mississippi, from 2001 to 2007. He ...

(born 1977), American politician * Brian Presley, American actor * Charlotte Presley, American polymath *

(1935–1977), American singer * Gerald Presley, Canadian bobsledder * Gladys Presley (1912–1958), Elvis Presley's mother * Harold Ray Presley, American law enforcement officer * Harriette Estelle Harris Presley (1862–1885), American missionary in Liberia * Hovis Presley, English comedian * Jenna Presley, American porn star *

Jim Presley James Arthur Presley (born October 23, 1961) is a former professional baseball player who played as an infielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1984 to 1991. He played for the Seattle Mariners, Atlanta Braves, and San Diego Padres As a yo ...

, American baseball player * Leo Presley, American footballer *

Lisa Marie Presley Lisa Marie Presley (February 1, 1968 – January 12, 2023) was an American singer and songwriter. She was the daughter of singer and actor Elvis Presley, who is referred to as "The King of Rock and Roll" and actress Priscilla Presley, as well a ...

(1968–2023), American singer-songwriter, Elvis Presley's daughter * Luther G. Presley, American songwriter and musician *

Priscilla Presley Priscilla Ann Presley (née Wagner, formerly Beaulieu; born May 24, 1945) is an American businesswoman and actress. She is the ex-wife of American singer Elvis Presley, as well as the cofounder and former chairperson of Elvis Presley Enterpris ...

(born 1945), Elvis Presley's ex-wife *

Reg Presley Reginald Maurice Ball (12 June 1941 – 4 February 2013), known professionally as Reg Presley, was an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer with the 1960s rock and roll band the Troggs, whose hits included "Wild Thing (The Troggs ...

, English singer/songwriter * Sam Davis Presley, American sailor * Sharon Presley, American activist * Vernon Presley (1916–1979), Elvis Presley's father * Wayne Presley, American ice hockey player

Variants of the surname

* Anne Pressly, murdered KATV anchorwoman * Ayanna Pressley, American politician * Ebenezer Erskine Pressly * Eleanor C. Pressly, aeronautical engineer * Jaime Pressly, American actress * Jhurell Pressley, American football player * Chris Pressley, American professional football player * Harold Pressley, American basketball player * Henry Roosevelt Pressley, blues and soul instrumentalist * Janet Pressley, American singer/songwriter * Robert Pressley, NASCAR driver * Ryan Pressly, American professional baseball player * Steven Pressley, Scottish footballer

People with the given name

* Presley Askew (1909–1994), American basketball and baseball coach * Presley Carson (1968–2024), retired Honduran football player * Presley Cash (born 1997), American musician and actress * Presley Chweneyagae (1984–2025), South African actor * Presley Ewing (1822–1854), American politician * Presley T. Glass (1824–1902), American politician * Presley Neville (1755–1818), American military officer *

Presley O'Bannon Presley O'Bannon (c. 1776 – September 12, 1850) was a first lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, famous for his exploits in the First Barbary War (1801–1805). In recognition of his bravery, he was presented a sword for his part ...

(1776–1850), American soldier * Presley Marion Rixey (1852–1928), American physician * Presley Sorah (born 2003), American professional stock car racing driver * Presley Spruance (1785–1863), American merchant * Presley Tanita Tucker (born 1989), daughter of Tanya Tucker and Ben Reed * Presley Thornton (1721–1769), American planter and politician * Presley Merritt Wagoner, American clubwoman who served as the President General of the Daughters of the American Revolution from 2005 to 2007 * Presley Norton Yoder (1932–1993), Ecuadorian archaeologist and entrepreneur

Variants of the given name

* Pressley Blake (born 1936), Canadian football player * Priestley Farquharson (born 1997), English professional footballer * Pressley Harvin III (born 1998), American professional football player * Pressly Matthews (1903–1967), New Zealand politician * Priestly H. McBride (1796–1869), American justice * Priestley Swain (1881–1949), English bishop

References

{{given name, type=both Surnames of English origin Surnames of Scottish origin English unisex given names Given names originating from a surname