Show ContentsPreto History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The prestigious Spanish surname Preto is of local origin, as it is based on the name of a place where a man once lived or owned land. Derived from the word "apretar," meaning "dense, or thick," it may have denoted a place which was densely wooded.

Early Origins of the Preto family

The surname Preto was first found in the provinces of Oviedo (Asturias) and Ciudad Real (Castilla). Evidence also show the Preto family was present in Cordoba as there is record of a Dona Maria Nicolasa Prieto de Palma who was born in Montilla in 1719.

Early History of the Preto family

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

Preto Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Preto, Prieta, Priete and others.

Early Notables of the Preto family

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


United States Preto migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Preto Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Margarita Preto, who settled in New Orleans in 1849
  • Polonia Preto, who settled in New Orleans in 1849
  • Polonia Preto, aged 34, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1849 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Preto (post 1700) +

  • Antonio Preto (1965-2016), Italian lawyer and politician


  1. 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)


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