Priestley Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Priestley Name Meaning: Derives from the Anglo Saxon words 'preost' meaning priest and 'leah' meaning meadow or similar

This name was probably given to someone who lived near a plot of land owned by a priest or was named after a place named priestley or similar.

Discover how your Priestley ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Priestley Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Priestley family

Profession Census Frequency
Scholar 303
Agricultural Labourer 65
Coal Miner 50
Wool Comber 49
Power Loom Weaver 34
At Home 30
House Servant 29
Dress Maker 28
Labourer 28
Worsted Spinner 25
Power Loom Weaver Worsted 22
Worsted Weaver 19
Hand Loom Weaver 18
Annuitant 15
Servant 15
Spinner 15
Farm Labourer 14
Cotton Spinner 14
Weaver 14
Cloth Dresser 13
Power Loom Weaver Stuff 10
House Keeper 9
Stone Mason 9
Cotton Warp Dresser 9
Dyer 9

Priestley Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Priestley 100% 33,563
2 Priestly 89% 3,413
3 Prestley 89% 1,263
4 Pristley 89% 724
5 Preistley 78% 288
6 Prustley 78% 129
7 Prestly 78% 110

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

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