Pratt's History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England
• Ireland

Etymology of Pratt's

The name Pratt's is part of the ancient legacy of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. Pratt's was a name used for a trickster; for a practical joker. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old English word prætt, which meant "a trick" or alternatively "cunning and astute." 1 A broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, nickname surnames referred to a characteristic of the first person who used the name. They can describe the bearer's favored style of clothing, appearance, habits, or character. Nickname surnames were frequently the result of a spontaneous reaction to a particular occasion or event. It is possible that the name was given to the original bearer as the result of a particularly brilliant and wildly successful practical joke.

Early Origins of the Pratt's family

Early History of the Pratt's family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pratt's research. Another 180 words (13 lines of text) covering the years 1296, 1497, 1573, 1615, 1620, 1657, 1659, 1664, 1667, 1684, 1723, 1725 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Pratt's History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pratt's Spelling Variations

Until the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Pratt's include Pratt, Pratte, Prat and others.

Early Notables of the Pratt's family

Sir Roger Pratt (1620-1684), an English gentleman-architect, best known for his work on Clarendon House, London (1664-1667.) Sir John Pratt (1657-1725), was an English judge, son of Richard Pratt of Standlake, Oxfordshire, and grandson...
Another 32 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Pratt's Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Pratt's family to Ireland

Some of the Pratt's 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.

Migration of the Pratt's family

Thousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Pratt's were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: John Prat and Roger Prat, who both arrived at the Roanoake, Virginia colony in 1587; Abraham and Jane Pratt, who came to Salem in 1630; Phineas Pratt, who settled in Maine in 1622.