Show ContentsPryse History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Welsh name Pryse is a patronymic surname created from the Welsh personal name Rhys, which also took the forms Rice and Rees. The surname Pryse was originally ap-Rhys, ap-Rice, or ap-Rees: the distinctive Welsh patronymic prefix "ap," means "son of," but the prefix has been assimilated into the surname over the course of time.

Early Origins of the Pryse family

The surname Pryse was first found in Merionethshire (Welsh: Sir Feirionnydd), made a county in Northwest Wales in 1284, and anciently part of the kingdom of Gwynedd, where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Pryse family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pryse research. Another 122 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1505, 1573, 1596, 1599, 1605, 1619, 1628, 1630, 1640, 1646, 1648, 1651, 1657, 1660, 1661, 1666, 1671, 1675, 1678, 1691, 1744, 1752 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Pryse History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pryse Spelling Variations

Compared to other ancient cultures found in the British Isles, the number of Welsh surnames are relatively few, but there are an inordinately large number of spelling variations. These spelling variations began almost as soon as surname usage became common. People could not specify how to spell their own names leaving the specific recording up to the individual scribe or priest. Those recorders would then spell the names as they heard them, causing many different variations. Later, many Welsh names were recorded in English. This transliteration process was extremely imprecise since the Brythonic Celtic language of the Welsh used many sounds the English language was not accustomed to. Finally, some variations occurred by the individual's design: a branch loyalty within a family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were indicated by spelling variations of one's name. The Pryse name over the years has been spelled Price, Pryce and others.

Early Notables of the Pryse family

Prominent amongst the family during the late Middle Ages was

  • Marchwithian, Chieftain of the Prices in North Wales; Sir John Price, Ap Price, Ap Rhys (died 1573), Welsh visitor of the monasteries, was son of Rhys ab Gwilym; Sir John Pryce (Price), 1st Baronet (c...

Ireland Migration of the Pryse family to Ireland

Some of the Pryse family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 83 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Pryse migration to the United States +

Many people from Wales joined the general migration to North America in the 19th and 20th centuries, searching for land, work, and freedom. Like the many other immigrants from the British Isles, they made a significant contribution to the development of Canada and the United States. The Welsh and their descendents added a rich cultural tradition to the newly developed towns, cities, and villages. An investigation of the immigration and passenger lists has revealed a number of people bearing the name Pryse:

Pryse Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Jane Pryse, who landed in Virginia in 1653 1
  • Tho Pryse, who arrived in Virginia in 1662 1
Pryse Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Rudolph Pryse, who arrived in Virginia in 1861 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Pryse (post 1700) +

  • Zach T. Pryse, American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from Oklahoma, 1916 (alternate), 1920 2


The Pryse 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: Vita brevis gloria aeterna
Motto Translation: Life is short, glory eternal


  1. 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)
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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