| ![Show Contents]() Prue History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
- Origins Available:
 Wales The surname Prue is derived from the Middle English word "prou," meaning "brave," or "valiant," with the addition of either of two common diminutive suffixes: "-et" or "-ot." As such, this name is thought to have originally been a nickname for someone small, but brave. 1 2 Early Origins of the Prue familyThe surname Prue was first found in Carmarthenshire (Welsh: Sir Gaerfyrddin), located in Southwest Wales, one of thirteen historic counties and presently one of the principal area in Wales. One of the first records of the family was found in Somerset where Matthew Pruet was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of 1202. Early London records show Richard Prouet, Pruet, Prowet, there in 1278 and 1280. 3 The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 show: Andrew Pruet and William Pruet, both in Cambridgeshire at that time. In Somerset, early records there show Thomas Pruwet, Walter Prowet and Juliana Prouet, 1 Edward III (during the first year of King Edward III's reign.) 1 Early History of the Prue familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Prue research. Another 124 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1202, 1278, 1558, 1599, 1680 and 1717 are included under the topic Early Prue History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Prue Spelling VariationsThere are relatively few surnames native to Wales, but they have an inordinately large number of spelling variations. Early variations of Welsh surnames can be explained by the fact that very few people in the early Middle Ages were literate. Priests and the few other literate people were responsible for recording names in official documents. And because most people could not specific how to properly record their names it was up to the individual recorder of that time to determine how a spoken name should be recorded. Variations due to the imprecise or improper recording of a name continued later in history when names originally composed in the Brythonic Celtic, language of Wales, known by natives as Cymraeg, were transliterated into English. Welsh names that were documented in English often changed dramatically since the native language of Wales, which was highly inflected, did not copy well. Occasionally, however, spelling variations were carried out according to an individual's specific design: a branch loyalty within the family, a religious adherence, or even patriotic affiliations could be indicated by minor variations. The spelling variations of the name Prue have included Pruett, Prewitt, Prewett, Pruet, Prewert and others. Early Notables of the Prue familyMore information is included under the topic Early Prue Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Prue RankingIn the United States, the name Prue is the 18,497th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 4
 Prue migration to the United States | + |
North America in the 1800s and 1900s saw the arrival of many Welsh people hoping to share in the wealth of land, work, and freedom that they felt North America held. Those who made the journey often attained those expectations, but only through an enormous amount of hard work, perseverance, and often a bout of good luck. These immigrants helped contribute to the growth of industry, commerce, and culture of both Canada and the United States. Discovered in the immigration and passenger lists were a number of people bearing the name Prue:
Prue Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- John Prue, who arrived in Virginia in 1700 5
| Contemporary Notables of the name Prue (post 1700) | + |
- Terry Arthur Prue (b. 1948), Australian Test cricket match umpire
- Sally Prue, British author, known for her novel Cold Tom which was awarded the Branford Boase Award 2002 and the Smarties Prize Silver Award in 2002
- Michael Prue (b. 1948), Canadian politician, Member of Provincial Parliament for Beaches-East York (2001-)
- Prue Acton (b. 1943), Australian fashion designer
| Historic Events for the Prue family | + |
- Mr. Reginald Samuel Prue, British Corporal, who sailed into battle on the HMS Repulse (1941) and died in the sinking 6
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: Deus pascit corvos
Motto Translation: God feeds the ravens.
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
- Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- 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)
- HMS Repulse Crew members. (Retrieved 2014, April 9) . Retrieved from http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listrepulsecrew.html
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Prue migration to the United States 
