Prince History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 


The origins of the Anglo-Saxon name Prince come from its first bearer, who was a person who acted in a regal manner, or who had won the title of prince in a contest of some sort. Prince is a nickname surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Nicknames form a broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, and can refer directly or indirectly to one's personality, physical attributes, mannerisms, or even their habits of dress. This surname comes from the Old and Middle French word prince, which means first.

Early Origins of the Prince family

The surname Prince was first found in Yorkshire 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 Prince family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Prince research. Another 118 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1166, 1177, 1238, 1327, 1600, 1621, 1643, 1673, 1723, 1788 and 1831 are included under the topic Early Prince History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Prince Spelling Variations

The first dictionaries that appeared in the last few hundred years did much to standardize the English language. Before that time, spelling variations in names were a common occurrence. The language was changing, incorporating pieces of other languages, and the spelling of names changed with it. Prince has been spelled many different ways, including Prince, Prinse and others.

Early Notables of the Prince family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Prince World Ranking

In the United States, the name Prince is the 652nd most popular surname with an estimated 44,766 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Prince is ranked the 705th most popular surname with an estimated 7,522 people with that name. 2 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Prince is the 633rd popular surname. 3 France ranks Prince as 2,379th with 2,500 - 3,000 people. 4 New Zealand ranks Prince as 903rd with 814 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks Prince as 650th with 10,030 people. 6


Prince migration to the United States +

Thousands of English families in this era began to emigrate the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. Although the passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe, those who made the voyage safely were rewarded with opportunities unavailable to them in their homeland. Research into passenger and immigration lists has revealed some of the very first Princes to arrive in North America:

Prince Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
Prince Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
Prince Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Prince migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Prince Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
Prince Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Prince migration to Australia +

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

Prince Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Prince 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:

Prince Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Prince 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. 16
Prince Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Prince (post 1700) +


Suggested Readings for the name Prince +
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