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 693
Worsted Spinner 84
Worsted Weaver 75
Coal Miner 73
Living On Her Own Means 32
Woollen Weaver 28
Agricultural Labourer 27
Living On Own Means 27
General Labourer 26
Domestic Servant 24
Dress Maker 24
Cotton Weaver 21
House Keeper 18
Joiner 16
Cloth Weaver 16
Farmer 15
Worsted Twister 15
Farm Labourer 14
Cotton Spinner 14
Stone Mason 14
Wool Sorter 14
Grocer 13
Stuff Weaver 13
Worsted Drawer 13
General Servant 12

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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