Prett History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Prett is a name whose history is entwined with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It was a name for a crafty or cunning individual. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old English word prætig, which meant crafty. Some variants of the name have the suffix man appended to them; this seems to have occurred sometime in the late 15th or early 16th centuries.

Early Origins of the Prett family

The surname Prett was first found in Staffordshire 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 Prett family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Prett research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1192, 1612, 1661 and 1676 are included under the topic Early Prett History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Prett Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Prett were recorded, including Prettyman, Pretyman, Pretty and others.

Early Notables of the Prett family

Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Prett Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Prett migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Prett family emigrate to North America:

Prett Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Peter Prett, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1747 1

Citations +

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)