Show ContentsProut History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Prout family

The surname Prout was first found in Bedfordshire where some of the first records of the family were listed in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273: Hugh le Proude; and Robert le Proud. The same rolls listed: John Prude in Buckinghamshire; Cristina le Prute in Oxfordshire; and Herbert le Prute in Wiltshire. [1]

Two sources postulates that the name was "perhaps from Old English personal name Prud, and perhaps connected with Pryde." [2] [3]

Early History of the Prout family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Prout research. Another 139 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1348, 1391, 1394, 1409, 1783 and 1852 are included under the topic Early Prout History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Prout Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Proud, Proude, Prout, Prowd and others.

Early Notables of the Prout family

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

Prout Ranking

In the United States, the name Prout is the 11,974th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [4]


United States Prout migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Prout Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Timothy Prout, who arrived in New England in 1643 [5]
  • William Prout, who landed in Virginia in 1653 [5]
  • William Prout, who settled in Virginia in 1653
  • Gyles Prout, who landed in Virginia in 1663 [5]
  • Peter Prout, who arrived in Virginia in 1695 [5]
Prout Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Roger Prout, who landed in New York in 1808 [5]
  • Eliza Prout, who arrived in New York, NY in 1842 [5]
  • John Prout, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1854 [5]
  • Patrick Prout, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1860 [5]
Prout Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mr. Abram Prout, (b. 1876), aged 24, Cornish clerk, from Truro, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Lucania"arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 13th October 1900 en route to New York, USA [6]
  • Mr. Samuel John Prout, (b. 1880), aged 20, Cornish smith, from Truro, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Lucania"arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 13th October 1900 en route to New York, USA [6]

Canada Prout migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Prout Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Prout U.E. who settled in Parr Town, Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 [7]
  • Mr. Sherman Prout U.E. who settled in Home District [York County], Ontario c. 1786 he served in Butler's Rangers [7]

Australia Prout migration to Australia +

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

Prout Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Margaret Prout, English nurse maid who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Elizabeth" on 20th June 1836, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [8]
  • William Prout, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "South Australian" in 1837 [9]
  • John Prout, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Waterloo" in 1840 [10]
  • Eliza Prout, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Waterloo" in 1840 [10]
  • George Prout, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lady Bruce" in 1846 [11]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Prout migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Prout Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Prout, (b. 1808), aged 33, English flax dresser born in Dorset travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Timandra" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand on 24th February 1842 [12]
  • Mrs. Mary Ann Prout, (b. 1808), aged 33, English settler born in Dorset travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Timandra" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand on 24th February 1842 [12]
  • John Prout, aged 19, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "City of Auckland" in 1872
  • Henry Prout, aged 28, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Dilharree" in 1875
  • Mary Prout, aged 25, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Dilharree" in 1875
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

West Indies Prout migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. [13]
Prout Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Thomas Prout, his wife and son, who settled in Barbados in 1678

Contemporary Notables of the name Prout (post 1700) +

  • William Christopher Prout (1886-1927), American Olympic athlete
  • William Prout, American Democratic Party politician, Chair of Somerset County Democratic Party, 1919 [14]
  • W. Cadman Prout, American politician, Candidate in primary for Circuit Judge in Michigan 6th Circuit, 1966 [14]
  • John Prout, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 1928, 1932 [14]
  • Everett R. Prout, American Republican politician, Member of Massachusetts State House of Representatives Third Norfolk District, 1923-24 [14]
  • Charles D. Prout, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Florida 7th District, 1990 [14]
  • John Skinner Prout (1805-1876), English born Australian watercolourist and nephew of Samuel Prout
  • Ebenezer Prout (1835-1909), English musical theorist, writer, teacher and composer
  • Samuel Prout (1783-1852), English watercolor painter
  • William Prout (1785-1850), British chemist and physiologist, born at Horton, Gloucestershire, where his family had been settled on their own property for some generations
  • ... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Prince of Wales


  1. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  2. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
  3. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  4. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  5. 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)
  6. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  7. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 11th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth
  9. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The SOUTH AUSTRALIAN 1837-1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1837SouthAustralian.htm
  10. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) WATERLOO 1840. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1840Waterloo.htm
  11. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LADY BRUCE 1846. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1846LadyBruce.htm
  12. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  14. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  15. HMS Prince of Wales Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listprincecrew.html


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