Prin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Etymology of Prin

What does the name Prin mean?

There is a debate as the the origin of this family. One source claims the name is a nickname, as in "Pryne, chief, first." 1 Another source agrees, stating the name was derived from the Old French word "prin", (Latin primus) ‘first, superior; small, slender’. 2

Another source claims the family originated in Cornwall and "were formerly called Resprynn, and they are supposed to have originated from Resprynn, an estate in the parish of Lanhydrock." 3

Early Origins of the Prin family

The surname Prin was first found in Worcestershire where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. The family name was first referenced in the year 1275 when Matilda Pryn held estates in that shire. In the same year, William Prin was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls for Berkshire and later, Nicholas Prinne was found in the Subsidy Rolls for Sussex in 1327. 2

Revisiting the aforementioned Cornish origin, another branch of the family was found in Bodrean, Cornwall as "the seat of Henry Prynn Andrew, Esq. was acquired by his alliance with the family of Prynn." 4

Early History of the Prin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Prin research. Another 119 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1043, 1327, 1455, 1487, 1600, 1648 and 1669 are included under the topic Early Prin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Prin Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Prin, Prinn, Pryn, Prynn, Prynne and others.

Early Notables of the Prin family

Another 36 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Prin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Prin Ranking

France, the name Prin is the 2,107^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,997 people with that name. 5

Prin migration to the United States +

Prin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Judeth Prin, who landed in Virginia in 1665 6
Richard Prin, who settled in Virginia sometime between 1673 and 1674

Prin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Emias Prin, who arrived in Norfolk, VA in 1810

Prin Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. Thomas Prin, (b. 1865), aged 39, Cornish mason, from Liskeard, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Majestic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 24th March 1904 en route to Calumet, Michigan, USA 7

Prin 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:

Prin Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Charles Prin, (b. 1854), aged 20, English sign writer from Surrey travelling from London aboard the ship "Tweed" arriving in Port Chalmers, Dunedin, Otago, South Island, New Zealand on 4th September 1874 8

Sources +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
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)
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html