Prendis History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

Etymology of Prendis

What does the name Prendis mean?

The name Prendis comes from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It was a name for 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 Prendis family

The surname Prendis 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 Prendis family

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

Prendis Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Prendis has undergone many spelling variations, including Prentice, Prentis, Prentiss, Prentisse and others.

Early Notables of the Prendis family

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

Migration of the Prendis family to Ireland

Some of the Prendis 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 Prendis family

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Prendis were among those contributors: 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..