Contents [hide]

Provost History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Provost History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
France

Early Origins of the Provost family

The surname Provost was first found in Rutland where they held a family seat as Lords of the Manor. After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William, Duke of Normandy, having prevailed over King Harold, granted most of Britain to his many victorious Barons. It was not uncommon to find a Baron, or a Bishop, with 60 or more Lordships scattered throughout the country. These he gave to his sons, nephews and other junior lines of his family and they became known as under-tenants. They adopted the Norman system of surnames which identified the under-tenant with his holdings so as to distinguish him from the senior stem of the family. After many rebellious wars between his Barons, Duke William, commissioned a census of all England to determine in 1086, settling once and for all, who held which land. He called the census the Domesday Book, 1 indicating that those holders registered would hold the land until the end of time. Hence, conjecturally, the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. This notable family, Prevost de la Croix, held a family seat in Poinou. They held the fiefs of Sonnotte, Prejailly, Villette, Bodes, le Pesse, and Bouteliere.

Early History of the Provost family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Provost research. Another 73 words (5 lines of text) covering the year 1410 is included under the topic Early Provost History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Provost Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Prevost, Provost, le Prevost, le Provost, Provest, Prevest and many more.

Early Notables of the Provost family

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

Provost World Ranking

In the United States, the name Provost is the 3,927^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2 However, in Canada, the name Provost is ranked the 595^th most popular surname with an estimated 8,481 people with that name. 3 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Provost is the 236^th popular surname. 4 France ranks Provost as 722^nd with 6,759 people. 5

Provost migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Provost Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

David Provost, who landed in New York, NY in 1639 6
Johannes Provost, who landed in New York in 1664 6
Elias Provost, who arrived in Virginia in 1691 6
Jonas Provost, who arrived in South Carolina in 1696 6

Provost Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

A. Provost, who landed in America, in 1904
A. S. Provost, who immigrated to the United States, in 1904
Arthemise Provost, aged 32, who settled in America from Paris, in 1905
Anorens J. Provost, aged 73, who landed in America, in 1907
Arthur Provost, aged 14, who immigrated to the United States, in 1908
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Provost migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Provost Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Mathurin Provost, who landed in Canada in 1646

Provost Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Augustus Provost U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1784 7

Provost Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Antonias Provost, aged 28, who settled in Quebec, Canada, in 1924
Axtonias Provost, aged 28, who immigrated to Quebec, Canada, in 1924

Contemporary Notables of the name Provost (post 1700) +

Étienne Provost (1785-1850), French Canadian fur trader active in the American Southwest
Ruth W. Provost, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Massachusetts State House of Representatives Fifth Barnstable District, 2002 8
Paul E. Provost (1915-1998), American Democratic Party politician, Member of New Hampshire State Senate 18th District; Elected 1956 8
Lewis Provost (b. 1919), American Republican politician, Member of Connecticut State House of Representatives from New Canaan, 1919 8
George W. Provost, American politician, Representative from New York 43rd District, 1948 8
Frank Provost, American politician, Mayor of Anaconda, Montana, 1937 8
Clara B. Provost, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1972 8
Andrew J. Provost, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Kings County 1st District, 1861-62 8
Stephane Provost (1967-2005), French Canadian NHL ice hockey official
Guy Provost OC, CQ (1925-2004), French Canadian actor
... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Provost Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Servatum cineri
Motto Translation: Faith kept with the dead

Citations +

Williams, Dr Ann. And G.H. Martin, Eds., Domesday Book A Complete Translation. London: Penguin, 1992. Print. (ISBN 0-141-00523-8)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
"The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
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)
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
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html