Prettay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

• Origins Available:
• England
• Scotland

Etymology of Prettay

The ancient history of the name Prettay dates back to the days of the Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It was a name given to a crafty or cunning individual. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old English word prætig, which meant crafty or cunning. 1 Some variants of the name have the suffix man appended to them; this seems to have occurred sometime in the late 15th or early 16th centuries.

Another source claims "the name, however, has nothing to do with prettiness, but is derived from the Latin pratum, a meadow. The Prettys of Scotland and Ireland are of English origin." 2

Early Origins of the Prettay family

Early History of the Prettay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Prettay research. Another 78 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1192, 1612, 1661 and 1676 are included under the topic Early Prettay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Prettay Spelling Variations

Until quite recently, the English language has lacked a definite system of spelling rules. Consequently, Anglo-Saxon surnames are characterized by a multitude of spelling variations. Changes in Anglo-Saxon names were influenced by the evolution of the English language, as it incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other languages. Although Medieval scribes and church officials recorded names as they sounded, so it is common to find one person referred to by several different spellings of his surname, even the most literate people varied the spelling of their own names. Variations of the name Prettay include Prettyman, Pretyman, Pretty and others.

Early Notables of the Prettay family

Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Prettay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Prettay family

Searching for a better life, many English families migrated to British colonies. Unfortunately, the majority of them traveled under extremely harsh conditions: overcrowding on the ships caused the majority of the immigrants to arrive diseased, famished, and destitute from the long journey across the ocean. For those families that arrived safely, modest prosperity was attainable, and many went on to make invaluable contributions to the development of the cultures of the new colonies. Research into the origins of individual families in North America revealed records of the immigration of a number of people bearing the name Prettay or a variant listed above: Edward Pretty settled in New England in 1654; Thomas and Penelope Pretty settled in Virginia in 1654; George Pretty settled in Virginia in 1607; thirteen years before the ".