PREECE
Preece is a surname that has long been associated with the British Isles, particularly Wales and England. It appears in early records from the fourteenth century, signifying that it has been in use for several centuries.
In its Welsh roots, the name is a patronymic that originates from the personal name Rhys, a word meaning enthusiasm or ardor. The medieval form ap Rhys – literally son of Rhys – reflects this lineage. Over time, ap Rhys was anglicised and contracted to forms such as Prys and later to Preece. The earliest surviving spelling of the family name is that of John Apress, recorded in the London Letter Books in 1414 during the reign of Henry V.
An alternate theory for the surname relates it to an occupational term. The Middle English or Old French word pris, meaning price, gave rise to a designation for an official who fixed market prices. This occupational origin is recorded from the late thirteenth century and appears in a variety of spellings such as Price, Pryce, and Preess.
In England, especially the West Midlands, a related derivation is from the Old English word preost meaning a priest. Those bearing this form of the name were either nicknamed for a priestly manner or employed by a priest. The surname therefore also functions as an occupational surname. Its modern spelling in England was solidified in the nineteenth century, although the name had already been widespread by the early nineteenth century, with strong concentrations in Shropshire, Cheshire and Herefordshire.
Variant spellings of Preece have been numerous. The most common include Price and Pryce; other variants mentioned in historical registers are Pritchett, Preese, Prichardt, Precie and Preiss. Modern census data indicate that, while Preece remains most common in England, it is also found, less frequently, in Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and abroad in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Typical given names associated with the Preece surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Helen
- Janet
- Julie
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Preece in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 11,702 people named Preece in the UK. That makes it the 781st most common surname in Britain. Around 180 in a million people in Britain are named Preece.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Wales
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Welsh
Famous people named Preece
- Liam James Preece - Musician
- David Preece - Football goalkeeper, born 1976
- Tim Preece - Actor
- Andy Preece - Football player and manager
- David Preece - Football midfielder, born 1963 (1963 to 2007)
- Roger Preece - Football player and manager
- Roger Preece -
- Ivor Preece - Rugby union football player and coach (1920 to 1987)
- Ian Preece - Welsh snooker player
- Peter Preece - Rugby union player
- Ben Preece - Cricketer
- Jack Preece - (1914 to 2003)
- William Henry Preece - Scientist (1834 to 1913)
- Charles Preece - Cricketer (1888 to 1976)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.