Prouz History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The ancient history of the name Prouz began soon after 1066 when the Norman Conquest of England occurred. It was a name given to a proud, haughty, or brave being derived from the Old French word prous.

Early Origins of the Prouz family

The surname Prouz was first found in Devon 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. However, some remained in Normandy as Drogon Prose was listed there in the Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae (1180-1195.) 1

Early History of the Prouz family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Prouz research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the year 1608 is included under the topic Early Prouz History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Prouz Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Prouz are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Prouz include Prouse, Prouze, Prowse, Prowze, Prouz, Prowes and others.

Early Notables of the Prouz family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was

Sir William Prouze of Devon

Migration of the Prouz family

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Prouz, or a variant listed above: George Prouse who settled in Virginia in 1624; Emblence Prouse settled in Virginia in 1639; Germaine Prouse settled in New York in 1775; John Prowse settled in Virginia in 1639..

Citations +

The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)