Prettyman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Scotland

Etymology of Prettyman

What does the name Prettyman mean?

Prettyman is a name whose history is entwined with the ancient Anglo-Saxon tribes of Britain. It was a name for 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 Prettyman family

The surname Prettyman was first found in Staffordshire where "the earliest mention of this name is in the year 1192, when Engeran de Praetis attests the grant of the chapel of Hope-cum-Tideswell, by John, Earl of Moreton, to the cathedral of Lichfield." 2

Early History of the Prettyman family

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

Prettyman 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 Prettyman were recorded, including Prettyman, Pretyman, Pretty and others.

Early Notables of the Prettyman family

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

Prettyman Ranking

the United States, the name Prettyman is the 13,953^rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 3

Prettyman 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 Prettyman family emigrate to North America:

Prettyman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Thomas Prettyman, who landed in Virginia in 1656 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Prettyman (post 1700) +

E. Barrett Prettyman (1891-1971), American jurist, Senior Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (1962-1971), Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (1958-1960)
Alfred Prettyman (b. 1935), American publisher, Adjunct Professor at Ramapo College
Tristan Prettyman (b. 1982), American singer-songwriter and former Roxy model from San Diego, California
Horace Greely Prettyman (1857-1945), American football player in the early years of the sport
Elijah Barrett Prettyman (1830-1907), American second principal of Maryland State Normal School (now Towson University)

Sources +

Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)