Prendice History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Prendice

What does the name Prendice mean?

The ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of England produced the name of Prendice. It was given to a student in a craft; an apprentice having derived from the Old English word aprentis, which meant "learner of a craft." In the Middle Ages, workers and tradesmen didn't learn occupations in school. Instead, they would find an accomplished master of the craft and learn it directly from them in return for free labor during the period of apprenticeship. This is not an occupational surname for apprenticeship is not an occupation per se. It is instead how a person would learn an occupation. Often, the surname was recorded of people who had long finished their apprenticeships, and therefore could not be called one anymore. Instead, they were given the name for exhibiting typical characteristics of an apprentice: clumsiness, eagerness, and other characteristics of callow youth even into their adulthood.

Early Origins of the Prendice family

The surname Prendice was first found in Essex 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 Prendice family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Prendice research. Another 90 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1327 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Prendice History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Prendice Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Prendice has appeared include Prentice, Prentis, Prentiss, Prentisse and others.

Early Notables of the Prendice family

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

Migration of the Prendice family to Ireland

Some of the Prendice family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 61 words (4 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 Prendice family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Prendice arrived in North America very early: Valentine Prentice, who settled in Virginia in 1654; John Prentiss settled in New York in 1823; John and Thomas Prentice arrived in Philadelphia in 1808..