Presley is a given name of English origin, derived from an English surname that originally denoted someone from a place meaning "priest clearing"—from Old English preost ("priest") and leah ("forest clearing" or "meadow"). The surname Presley, along with variants such as Pressley and Pressly, is believed to have originated in England and later spread to Scotland, Ireland, and the United States. Some instances of the surname in America may trace back to the German surname Preslar, ultimately from Bressler, meaning "from Breslau" (modern-day Wrocław, Poland).The name's bearer is inextricably linked to Elvis Presley (1935–1977), the American singer and cultural icon known simply as "Elvis." Under his monumental fame, Presley became established as a given name, particularly as a female name in modern usage, as Anglo-American naming trends have increasingly adopted surnames for girls. Elvis Presley's own ancestry, according to genealogists, includes German roots from the town of...As a feminine given name, Presley fits the pattern of surname names and boyish monikers for girls popular in the United States since the late 20th century. It benefits from the association with rock royalty and has been used moderately but consistently since the 1970s.