Prine History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

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 Prine family

The surname Prine 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 Prine family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Prine 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 Prine History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Prine Spelling Variations

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

Early Notables of the Prine family

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

Prine Ranking

In the United States, the name Prine is the 7,875^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Prine migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Prine Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Thomas M. Prine, aged 49, arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Adriatic" from Southampton, England 6
Albert Prine, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Olympic" from Southampton, England 6

Contemporary Notables of the name Prine (post 1700) +

Andrew Lewis Prine (1936-2022), American film, stage, and television actor, born in Jennings, Florida, known for Texas Across the River (1966), Generation (1969) and Chisum (1970)
John Prine (1946-2020), American country folk singer-songwriter from Maywood, Illinois, known for an often humorous style of country music; he died of COVID-19

Citations +

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
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result