Contents [hide]

Pringle History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand West Indies

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Citations

Pringle History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland
England

Pringle was first used as a surname by the descendents of the ancient Boernician clans of Scotland. The Pringle family lived in a place near Stow Roxburghshire, called Hopringle or Pringle. As such, Pringle is a habitation name, a category of surnames that were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. The place name comes from the Old English word hop which referred to an "enclosed valley," and Prjónn, an Old Norse name comprised of components which mean peg and ravine. Thus, the original bearer of the surname came from an area noted for an enclosed valley or a ravine.

However some sources presume the name to be derived from "pilgrim," as "they bear in their arms the escallop shells or badges of pilgrims to the Holy Land." 1 2

Early Origins of the Pringle family

The surname Pringle was first found in Roxburghshire, where the first Chief on record was Robert de Hoppryngil who witnessed a deed by King Alexander III of Scotland in 1250 A.D. Forty-six years later, Ellys Obringkel was Bishop of St. Andrews, and rendered homage to King Edward I of England on his brief conquest of Scotland in 1296. His seal bore a hunting horn. About this time they acquired the Clan territories near Stow and they became close allies of the Black Douglases. 3

"The little silver coin called a pringle, formerly minted in Scotland, and of about the value of an English penny, may have derived its name from one of this family." 4

Early History of the Pringle family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Pringle research. Another 426 words (30 lines of text) covering the years 1200, 1368, 1406, 1450, 1455, 1485, 1513, 1568, 1580, 1625, 1626, 1628, 1631, 1664, 1667, 1689, 1736 and 1976 are included under the topic Early Pringle History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pringle Spelling Variations

In the many years before the invention of the printing press and the first dictionaries, names and other words were spelled according to sound, often differently with each person who wrote them. Spelling variations of Pringle include Pringle, Pringell, Prindle, Hopringle and others.

Early Notables of the Pringle family

Notable among the family at this time was

George Pringle (1631-1689), of Torwoodlee, eldest son of James Pringle of Torwoodlee. The Pringles of Torwoodlee, Selkirkshire, are descended from the Pringles of Snailholm, Roxburghshire, the first o...
Walter Pringle (1625-1667), of Greenknowe, Berwickshire, Scottish Covenanter, was the third son of Robert Pringle, first of Stitchel, Roxburghshire. The Pringles of Stitchel were descended from the Ho...
Sir Walter Pringle (1664-1736), Lord Newhall was a Scottish judge, was second son of Sir Robert Pringle, 1st Baronet of Stitchel

Pringle Ranking

In the United States, the name Pringle is the 2,261^st most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 5 However, in New Zealand, the name Pringle is ranked the 747^th most popular surname with an estimated 971 people with that name. 6

Migration of the Pringle family to Ireland

Some of the Pringle family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 35 words (2 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Pringle migration to the United States +

In many cases, the ancestors of many of these Boernician-Scottish people are just now learning of their Scottish heritage. Since the trip was so arduous, and many were fleeing from poverty itself, settlers brought little with them and often had nothing of their personal history to hand down to their children. Clan societies and highland games have helped to correct this problem in the 20th century. Early immigration records have shown some of the first Pringles to arrive on North American shores:

Pringle Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Pringle, who landed in Connecticut in 1645 7
William Pringle, who arrived in New Haven, Connecticut in 1653 7
Eleanor Pringle, who arrived in Maryland in 1673 7

Pringle Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

George Pringle, who settled in Philadelphia in 1774
John and William Pringle, who settled in Maryland in 1775

Pringle Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Pringle, who arrived in Charleston, South Carolina in 1813 7
Thomas Pringle, aged 39, who landed in New York in 1817 7
Friederick Pringle, aged 28, who landed in New York, NY in 1847 7
B S Pringle, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 7
William Pringle and his family also settled in Waterloo county in 1854
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Pringle Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. Benjamin Pringle, (b. 1882), aged 22, Cornish miner, from Redruth, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 19th June 1904 en route to Negaunee, Michigan, USA 8

Pringle migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Pringle Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Capt. Pringle, 27th Regiment (Rogers Rangers) who was stationed in Ticonderoga and led an assault on Quebec in 1758
Private. Joseph Pringle U.E., (Prindle) (b. 1753) born in Skeensborough, New York, USA who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1781, then resettled in 1783 to Fredericksburgh [Greater Napanee], Ontario married to Anna Mary Springsteen having 3 children 9
Mr. Joseph Pringle Sr., U.E. who settled in Canada c. 1784 9
Sgt. Joel Pringle Jr., U.E. (b. 1725) born in New Haven, Connecticut, USA from Albany, New York, USA who settled in Hallowell Township [Prince Edward County], Ontario c. 1784 he served in the King's Rangers, married to Deborah Brownson (née Bigelow) in 1745 having 6 children, he died in 1800 9
Mr. Joel Pringle U.E., (Prindle) who settled in Canada c. 1784 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Pringle Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Isaac Pringle, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1824

Pringle migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Pringle Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Pringle, British Convict who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for life, transported aboard the "Batavia" in October 1817, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 10
Mr. Charles Philip Pringle, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Canada" on 23rd April 1819, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 11
Mr. Peter Pringle, (Foreman, George, Fraser), Scottish convict who was convicted in Glasgow, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Competitor"18th March 1823, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 12
Mr. James Pringle, (b. 1812), aged 15, Scottish painters boy who was convicted in Edinburgh, Scotland for 14 years, transported aboard the "Champion" on 24th May 1827, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 13
James Pringle, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Sir Charles Forbes" in 1839 14
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Pringle 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:

Pringle Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Alexander Pringle, aged 17, a dyer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "London" in 1840
James Pringle, aged 31, a farmer, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1842
Elizabeth Pringle, aged 32, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1842
Thomas Pringle, aged 9, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1842
Jane Pringle, aged 7, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1842
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Pringle migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 15

Pringle Settlers in West Indies in the 18th Century

James Pringle, who settled in Jamaica in 1774

Contemporary Notables of the name Pringle (post 1700) +

John Cecil Pringle (1897-1936), known as John Gilbert, an American actor, screenwriter and director
Aileen Pringle (1895-1989), born Aileen Bisbee, an American stage and film actress during the silent film era
Cyrus Pringle (1838-1911), American botanist
Vice Admiral Joel Roberts Poinsett Pringle (1873-1932), American Naval officer, who served from 1894-1932
Andrew Pringle (d. 1776), Lord Alemoor, Solicitor-General for Scotland and Lord of Session, the eldest son of John Pringle, Lord of Session
Sir John Pringle (1707-1782), Scottish physician and reformer, doctor to the Royal Family including King George III, the so-called "mad king" who has been called the "father of military medicine"
Thomas Pringle (1789-1834), Scottish poet, son of a farmer, born at Blaiklaw, Teviotdale, Roxburghshire
Andrew Seth Pringle -Pattison (1856-1931), born Andrew Seth, a Scottish philosopher from Edinburgh
Alexander Pringle (1791-1857), Scottish Conservative politician, Junior Lord of the Treasury (1841–1845), Member of Parliament for Selkirkshire (1830–1832) and (1835-1846)
David Pringle (b. 1950), Scottish science fiction editor
... (Another 13 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Pringle family +

HMS Hood

Mr. Robert H W Pringle (b. 1921), English Stoker 1st Class serving for the Royal Navy from West Hartlepool, County Durham, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 16

RMS Lusitania

Mr. Thomas Pringle, English First Waiter from England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking 17

Citations +

Sims, Clifford Stanley The Origin and Signification of Scottish Surnames. 1862. Print.
Dixon, Bernard Homer, Surnames. London: John Wilson and son, 1857. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
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/
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
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
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 30th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/batavia
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/competitor
Convict Records of Australia. Retreived 18th January 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/champion
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) SIR CHARLES FORBES (originally Charles Forbes) 1839. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1839SirCharlesForbes.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/