Priest Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Priest Name Meaning: Thought to have derived from the Anglo-Saxon word 'preoston' meaning 'priest settlement'.

May refer to someone who lived in a settlement that a priest lived in or a settlement owned by the church. This surname may have also been taken from a settlment of the same name (for example Preston in Lancashire).

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Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Priest Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Priest family

Profession Census Frequency
Scholar 745
Coal Miner 61
Domestic Servant 42
Chain Maker 41
Dress Maker 36
Agricultural Labourer 33
General Servant 32
Labourer 29
General Labourer 28
Nail Maker 26
Laundress 24
Farm Labourer 23
No Occupation 16
Annuitant 15
Horse Nail Maker 15
Nailer 15
Tailoress 12
Farmers Son 12
Nailor 12
Servant Domestic 11
General Servant Domestic 10
Tailor 10
Blacksmith 9
Bricklayer 9
Gardener 9

Priest Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Priest 100% 26,449
2 Prest 83% 7,821
3 Prust 67% 1,884
4 Prost 67% 735
5 Prist 83% 717
6 Preest 83% 371
7 Preist 67% 340
8 Prestoe 57% 142
9 Preast 67% 114

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The surname Priest is the most popular version of all its varients

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