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Prentice Family History

Prentice Surname Meaning

Scottish (Lanarkshire) and English (East Anglia): from Middle English prentis prentiz a shortened form of apprentis ‘apprentice’ (Anglo-Norman French apprenti(e)z prentiz prentice from Old French aprendre ‘to learn to understand’).

Latin appre(he)ndere ‘to understand grasp’ denotes someone learning a craft or trade.

However, it is probably originating as a nickname in the case of the surname.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Prentice family from?

You can see how Prentice families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Prentice family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Prentice families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 484 Prentice families living in London. This was about 23% of all the recorded Prentice's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Prentice families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Prentice surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Prentice ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Prentice. 8% of Prentice men worked as a General Labourer and 73% of Prentice women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Prentice were Gardener and Private Means.

View Census Data for Prentice | 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 Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    8%
  • Railway Clerk
    5%
  • Farm Labourer
    5%
  • Gardener
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    73%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%
  • Private Means
    2%

What Prentice family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 117,000 census records available for the last name Prentice. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Prentice census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Prentice

Passenger Lists

There are 21,000 immigration records available for the last name Prentice. 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 Prentice immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 14,000 military records available for the last name Prentice. For the veterans among your Prentice ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Prentice military records

You've only scratched the surface of Prentice family history

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What is the average Prentice lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Prentice life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Prentice in 1943 was 22, and 71 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Prentice

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Prentice 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.

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