| ![Show Contents]() Prentis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The name Prentis has a history dating as far back as the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It was a name for a student in a craft; an apprentice having derived from the Old English word aprentis, which meant "learner of a craft." In the Middle Ages, workers and tradesmen didn't learn occupations in school. Instead, they would find an accomplished master of the craft and learn it directly from them in return for free labor during the period of apprenticeship. This is not an occupational surname for apprenticeship is not an occupation per se. It is instead how a person would learn an occupation. Often, the surname was recorded of people who had long finished their apprenticeships, and therefore could not be called one anymore. Instead, they were given the name for exhibiting typical characteristics of an apprentice: clumsiness, eagerness, and other characteristics of callow youth even into their adulthood. Early Origins of the Prentis familyThe surname Prentis was first found in Essex where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects. Early History of the Prentis familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Prentis research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1327 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Prentis History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Prentis Spelling VariationsSpelling variations in names were a common occurrence before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate spelled their names differently as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Prentis have been found, including Prentice, Prentis, Prentiss, Prentisse and others. Early Notables of the Prentis familyMore information is included under the topic Early Prentis Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Prentis family to Ireland
Some of the Prentis family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 61 words (4 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Prentis migration to the United States | + |
Families began migrating abroad in enormous numbers because of the political and religious discontent in England. Often faced with persecution and starvation in England, the possibilities of the New World attracted many English people. Although the ocean trips took many lives, those who did get to North America were instrumental in building the necessary groundwork for what would become for new powerful nations. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America bore the name Prentis, or a variant listed above:
Prentis Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Thomas Prentis, who landed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1652 1
Prentis Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- John Prentis, who arrived in New London, Connecticut in 1746 1
Prentis Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- James William Prentis, who landed in Mississippi in 1896 1
- Frank Arnold Prentis, aged 27, who arrived in Hancock County, Miss in 1898 1
| Contemporary Notables of the name Prentis (post 1700) | + |
- Joseph Prentis (1754-1809), American politician from Virginia, he represented Williamsburg in the Virginia House of Delegates, Speaker of the House from 1786 until 1788
- Robert R. Prentis (1855-1931), American politician, Mayor of Suffolk, Virginia from 1883 to 1885, first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia
- John Prentis, American politician, Mayor of Williamsburg, Virginia from 1759 to 1760
- Stephen Prentis (1801-1862), English poet, educated at Christ's College, Cambridge
- Edward Prentis (1797-1854), English painter who first exhibited in 1823 at the Royal Academy
- Dave Prentis (b. 1950), English General Secretary of UNISON, the United Kingdom's largest trade union
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
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Prentis migration to the United States 
England
Ireland
