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Home › Baby Names Directory › Precious

Precious

♀ Girl

Pronounced PREHSH-uhs /ˈpɹɛʃ.əs/Medium

Meaning: Price, worthMedium

In 30 seconds: Precious is an English word-name meaning something of great price or worth. It says exactly what it means, used as an affectionate term turned given name.
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Origin MediumEnglish, African American
MeaningPrice, worth
U.S. rank (2025)#3158 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births51 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2001
Total births (all-time)≈ 19,393

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 200118972025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

The name comes straight from the English vocabulary word, carrying the sense of high price and value. As a given name it expresses how a child is cherished, with the meaning sitting right on the surface. It is used as a sincere, heartfelt choice rather than one with a hidden etymology.

It carries real-world weight through bearers like Filipina beauty queen Precious Lara Quigaman and Nigerian goalkeeper Precious Dede. The plain, tender meaning is what gives the name its appeal.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Precious is 'price, worth', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Precious — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Precious Lara Quigaman (1983–present)
    Filipina beauty queen, Miss International 2005 winner.
  • ★Precious Dede (1980–present)
    Nigerian footballer, longtime national team goalkeeper.

If you like Precious…

Cherish— another English word-name expressing how dearly a child is valued, like Precious
Treasure— a vocabulary name sharing Precious's sense of something prized
Pearl— names a precious object, echoing Precious's worth-based meaning
Prudence— an English virtue-style name with a similar sincere, meaning-first feel

Explore names like Precious

By thememodernenglishafrican-american
By meaningSnow / Winter

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Precious mean?

Precious is usually explained as meaning 'price, worth' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Precious?

It's commonly said PREHSH-uhs /ˈpɹɛʃ.əs/.

Is Precious a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Precious is used as a girl name.

How popular is Precious?

In 2024, Precious ranked #2570 in the U.S. for girls, with 69 births recorded.

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