Preen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

There is a debate as the the origin of this family. One source claims the name is a nickname, as in "Pryne, chief, first." 1 Another source agrees, stating the name was derived from the Old French word "prin", (Latin primus) ‘first, superior; small, slender’. 2

Another source claims the family originated in Cornwall and "were formerly called Resprynn, and they are supposed to have originated from Resprynn, an estate in the parish of Lanhydrock." 3

Early Origins of the Preen family

The surname Preen was first found in Worcestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The family name was first referenced in the year 1275 when Matilda Pryn held estates in that shire. In the same year, William Prin was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls for Berkshire and later, Nicholas Prinne was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327. 2

Revisiting the aforementioned Cornish origin, another branch of the family was found in Bodrean, Cornwall as "the seat of Henry Prynn Andrew, Esq. was acquired by his alliance with the family of Prynn." 4

Early History of the Preen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Preen research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1043, 1327, 1455, 1487, 1600, 1648 and 1669 are included under the topic Early Preen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Preen Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Prin, Prinn, Pryn, Prynn, Prynne and others.

Early Notables of the Preen family

Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Preen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Preen migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Preen Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles Otto Claus Von Preen, who landed in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in 1833 5

Preen migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Preen Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Moses Preen, British Convict who was convicted in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Corona" on 13th October 1866, arriving in Western Australia, Australia 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Preen (post 1700) +

Mr. Charles Preen, Welsh coal miner working in Abercarn coal mine in Wales on 11th September 1878, he was awarded the Albert Medal for lifesaving
Alan Thomas Preen (b. 1935), former Australian rules footballer
Garyn Vernon Preen (b. 1991), Welsh footballer

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
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)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/corona