This page needs Javascript enabled in order to work properly. Click here for instructions on how to enable it in your browser.
Surname Header Image
Get access to Prain family records.Start a 14-Day Free Trial

Prain Family History

Prain Surname Meaning

of uncertain origin. If Scottish in origin it might be a locative name containing Pictish pren ‘tree’ found in several place-names in Fife and elsewhere in E Scotland such as Traprain in E Lothian.

Perhaps the surname is a reduced form of a surname such as Pirney (from Pairney Perths see Black) where Pirn- is a metathesized form of Pren-.

If English in origin (and taken to E Scotland by migration) it might be a variant of Preen from Preen (Shrops) which has the spelling Preyn in 1692 and 1750.

The derived surname has a similar spelling in Israel Preine 1626 in IGI (Bridgnorth Shrops).

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Prain family from?

You can see how Prain families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Prain family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Prain families were found in and Scotland in 1841. In 1891 there were 14 Prain families living in Cornwall. This was about 25% of all the recorded Prain's in United Kingdom. Cornwall had the highest population of Prain families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Prain surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Prain ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Prain. 100% of Prain women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Prain | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    100%

What Prain family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 4,000 census records available for the last name Prain. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Prain census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Prain

Passenger Lists

There are 865 immigration records available for the last name Prain. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Prain immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 407 military records available for the last name Prain. For the veterans among your Prain ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Prain military records

You've only scratched the surface of Prain family history

Discover More

What is the average Prain lifespan?

Between 1964 and 2003, in the United States, Prain life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1980, and highest in 1971. The average life expectancy for Prain in 1964 was 68, and 71 in 2003.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Prain

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Prain ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Prain family tree

Explore Your Tree
Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial