Prestien History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland
Ireland

The surname Prestien is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came. The Prestien family lived in the parish of Preston in the county of Midlothian (now part of the region of Lothian), Scotland.

Early Origins of the Prestien family

The surname Prestien was first found in Westmorland, where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Prestien family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Prestien research. Another 160 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1222, 1296, 1327, 1370, 1396, 1478, 1557 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Prestien History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Prestien Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Preston, Prestone and others.

Early Notables of the Prestien family

More information is included under the topic Early Prestien Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Prestien family to Ireland

Some of the Prestien family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 98 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Prestien family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Joseph Preston, who settled in Virginia in 1635; George Preston, who settled in Virginia in 1635; Lawrence Preston, who settled in Virginia in 1635; Henry Preston, who arrived in Virginia in 1642.

The Prestien Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Praesto ut praestem
Motto Translation: I undertake what I may perform