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
School 566
Coal Miner Hewer 56
Private Means 32
Cotton Weaver 32
Farm Labourer 28
Worsted Spinner 28
Carter 26
Weaver 26
Labourer 25
Dressmaker 25
General Labourer 24
General Servant (domestic) 22
Joiner 22
Shop Assistant 18
House Painter 17
Assisting In Business 17
Assisting In The Business 17
Farmer 17
Dyers Labourer 17
Scholar 16
At Home 16
House Keeper 16
Housewife 15
Worsted Weaver 15
Woollen Weaver 14

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

Search for the Priestley family