Prossor History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Wales

Etymology of Prossor

What does the name Prossor mean?

The Welsh name Prossor is a patronymic surname created from the Welsh personal name Rosser, which also took the form Rhosier. The surname Prossor was originally ap-Rosser or ap-Rhosier: the distinctive Welsh patronymic prefix "ab" or "ap," means "son of," but the prefix has been assimilated into the surname over the course of time. There has also been suggestion that the name is a Welsh transformation of the Gaelic name "Mac Ruaidhri."

Early Origins of the Prossor family

The surname Prossor was first found in Herefordshire, where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects. The form Rosser was found in Chancery, where a Morres Rosser was recorded in Wales in 1100, in the "Calendar of Proceedings in Chancery" published during the reign of Elizabeth I in the 16th century.

Early History of the Prossor family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Prossor research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1200 and 1237 are included under the topic Early Prossor History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Prossor Spelling Variations

Although there are comparatively few Welsh surnames, they have a great many spelling variations. Variations of Welsh names began almost immediately after their acceptance within Welsh society. In the Middle Ages, it was up to priests and the few other people that recorded names in official documents to decide how to spell the names that they heard. Variations that occurred because of improper recording increased dramatically as the names were later transliterated into English. The Brythonic Celtic language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, featured many highly inflected sounds that could not be properly captured by the English language. Spelling variations were, however, also carried out according to an individual's design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations were all indicated by the particular variation of one's name. The spelling variations of the name Prossor have included Prosser, Prousser, Proser, Prouser, Prossar, Rosser, Roser, Rossear and many more.

Early Notables of the Prossor family

More information is included under the topic Early Prossor Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Prossor family

Many Welsh joined the great migrations to North America in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Like their Scottish and Irish neighbors, many Welsh families left their homeland hoping to find hope and prosperity in a land that the English did not exercise a tight rule over. Those Welsh immigrants that successfully traveled to North America went on to make significant contributions to the rapid development of both Canada and the United States in terms of the settling of land and the establishment of industry. They also added to the rich cultural heritage of both countries. An examination into the immigration and passenger lists has discovered a number of people bearing the name Prossor: George Prosser settled in Virginia in 1635; along with Jane; Thomas Prosser settled in Barbados in 1634; William Prosser settled in Virginia in 1654;Hugh Rosser came to Maryland in 1665.