Show ContentsPrentice History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Prentice is a name whose history is entwined with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes 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 Prentice family

The surname Prentice 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 Prentice family

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

Prentice Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Prentice were recorded, including Prentice, Prentis, Prentiss, Prentisse and others.

Early Notables of the Prentice family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

  • Henry Prentice of Edinburgh

Prentice Ranking

In the United States, the name Prentice is the 3,928th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Prentice family to Ireland

Some of the Prentice 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.


Prentice migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Prentice family emigrate to North America:

Prentice Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Valentine Prentice, who arrived in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1631 2
  • Henry Prentice, who landed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1640 2
  • Thomas Prentice, who landed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1652 2
  • Valentine Prentice, who settled in Virginia in 1654
  • John Prentice, who landed in Maryland in 1660 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Prentice Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John and Thomas Prentice, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1808
Prentice Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Robert Prentice, who arrived in Mobile, Ala in 1900 2

Prentice migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Prentice Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. David Prentice U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 3
  • Mr. Richard Prentice U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1785 he was a Blacksmith 3
  • Mr. Daniel Prentice U.E. who settled in Eastern District [Cornwall], Ontario c. 1786 he served in the Royal Regiment of New York 3
Prentice Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Geo Prentice, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1848
  • Jane Prentice, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1848

Prentice migration to Australia +

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

Prentice Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mary Prentice, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Angelina" on April 25, 1844, settling in Van Diemen's Land, Australia 4
  • W. Prentice, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "William Watson" in 1849 5
  • John Prentice, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Duke of Wellington" in 1851 6

Prentice 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:

Prentice Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Emily Prentice, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Nimroud" in 1863
  • Margaret Prentice, aged 19, a domestic servant, who arrived in Bluff, New Zealand aboard the ship "Christian McAusland" in 1875
  • Mr. William Prentice, (b. 1849), aged 26, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Peter Denny" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 25th November 1875 7
  • Miss Catherine Prentice, (b. 1852), aged 23, Scottish settler travelling from Glasgow aboard the ship "Peter Denny" arriving in Bluff, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 25th November 1875 7
  • Mr. James Prentice, (b. 1851), aged 28, Scottish shepherd, from Ayr travelling from Clyde aboard the ship "Nelson" arriving in Invercargill, Southland, South Island, New Zealand on 28th August 1879 8
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Prentice (post 1700) +

  • Travis Jason Prentice (b. 1976), American former NFL football running back
  • Jordan Prentice (b. 1973), Canadian dwarf actor from London, Ontario, best known for his portrayal of Rock in American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile (2006)
  • John Prentice (1920-1999), American cartoonist, best known for his work on comic strip Rip Kirby, recipient of the National Cartoonist Society Story Comic Strip Award (1966, 1967, and 1986)
  • George Dennison Prentice (1802-1870), American editor of the Louisville Journal, Louisville, Kentucky, creator of the fictional guerrilla "Sue Mundy" whop taunted the Union Commander of the State
  • Beatrice Prentice (1884-1977), American stage actress
  • Alta Rockefeller Prentice (1871-1962), American activist
  • Levi Wells Prentice (1851-1935), American still life and landscape painter
  • David R. Prentice (b. 1943), American artist
  • David Prentice (b. 1936), English artist and former art teacher, one of four founding members of the Ikon Gallery, Birmingham in 1964
  • Leslie Prentice (1887-1928), English cricketer
  • ... (Another 12 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

North Sea Flood
  • Eileen Sylvia Prentice, British traveler aboard the ferry "Princess Victoria" killed in the North Sea Flood, a major storm surge in 1953
RMS Titanic
  • Mr. Frank Winnold Prentice, aged 22, English Storekeeper from Southampton, Hampshire who worked aboard the RMS Titanic and survived the sinking by escaping in life boat 4 9


Suggested Readings for the name Prentice +

  • Valentine Prentice By Linus Joseph Dewald.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  4. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2014, November 27) Angelina voyage to Van Diemen's Land, Australia in 1844 with 171 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/angelina/1844
  5. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) The barque WILLIAM WATSON 1849. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1849WilliamWatson.htm
  6. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) DUKE OF WELLINGTON 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851DukeOfWellington.htm
  7. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  8. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  9. Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html


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