Pather History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

The Pather surname comes from the word Latin "praetor," and was a term used for a reeve, the chief magistrate or bailiff of a district. Additionally, the name could have meant "leader." The Pretorius variant is a common Afrikaans surname which is unique to South Africa.

Early Origins of the Pather family

The surname Pather was first found in Lincolnshire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The family name was first referenced in the year 1150 when Willelmus Pretor held estates in that shire. Later, Robertus Preter was listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1208. 1

By the 16th century, early spelling variations of the name appeared in Germany including Jacob Praetorius the Elder (c. 1520-1586), the German organist and composer. He was the first of many listed in this century, but how the English and German families are related is unknown. Moreover how the South African variant Pretorius became so popular there is again unknown.

Early History of the Pather family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pather research. Another 71 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1455 and 1487 are included under the topic Early Pather History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pather Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Prater, Preater, Prather, Pretor, Prether and many more.

Early Notables of the Pather family

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

Pather migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Pather Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Frederick Pather, aged 7, who landed in New York in 1710 2

Citations +

Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
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)