UK boy's name
Prentice
An English masculine given name derived from the word "apprentice", meaning a novice or learner.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2007. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Prentice is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Prentice popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2007 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4333, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 13 births.
This profile covers 28 England and Wales registrations across 5 recorded years from 1997 to 2007. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 23% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 35 living people in the UK are called Prentice. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2008 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Prentice ranked #4333 for boys in England and Wales in 2007, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1997, when 13 boys were registered as Prentice.
- • Prentice ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #626 in 2009.
- • About 35 living people in the UK are estimated to have Prentice as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4333
2007
Births in 2007
3
Latest year
Peak year
1997
13 births
Estimated living
35
2026
Meaning
What does Prentice mean?
The given name Prentice is an English name derived from the Old French word "aprentis," meaning "apprentice" or "learner." This term has its roots in the Latin word "apprendere," which means "to learn."
During the Middle Ages, the name Prentice was commonly used to refer to young individuals who were apprenticed to skilled craftsmen or tradesmen. These apprentices would live and work under the guidance of their masters, learning the necessary skills and knowledge of the trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Prentice can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript record of the Great Survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. In this document, the name appears as "Prentiz," referring to individuals who were likely apprentices in various trades or professions.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Prentice. One of the earliest recorded was Prentice Zane (1619-1701), an English Puritan minister and author who emigrated to America in the 17th century. Another notable figure was Prentice Mulford (1834-1891), an American writer and influential figure in the New Thought movement.
In the 19th century, Prentice Townsend (1808-1877) was an American politician and businessman who served as the 15th Governor of Indiana from 1837 to 1840. Prentice Mulford (1834-1891), an American writer and influential figure in the New Thought movement, also lived during this time.
Moving into the 20th century, Prentice Bloedel (1900-1996) was a prominent Canadian businessman and philanthropist who founded the Bloedel Donovan Lumber Mills and played a significant role in the growth of the forestry industry in British Columbia.
While the name Prentice is not as common today as it was in the past, it continues to carry a sense of learning, apprenticeship, and the acquisition of skills and knowledge. Its historical significance serves as a reminder of the importance of mentorship and the passing down of traditions and trades from one generation to the next.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Prentice over time
The chart below shows babies named Prentice registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2007. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Prentice, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2007, compared with 13 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Prentice by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Prentice was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | #3685 | 6 | 2 |
| 1990s | #1856 | 22 | 3 |
Geography
Where Prentice is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Prentice. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Prentice ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #626 in 2009.
Across the UK
Prentice in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#626 in 2009
2 years of NRS records, 7 total registered
Related
Names similar to Prentice
- Patrick 17,559
- Peter 13,150
- Paul 8,542
- Philip 4,997
- Parker 4,664
- Phoenix 3,865
- Preston 3,370
- Prince 1,782
- Patryk 1,763
- Phillip 1,697
- Percy 1,395
- Perry 1,015
FAQ
Prentice: questions and answers
How popular is the name Prentice in the UK right now?
In 2007, Prentice was ranked #4333 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Prentice most popular?
The peak year on record was 1997, with 13 babies registered as Prentice in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Prentice?
An English masculine given name derived from the word "apprentice", meaning a novice or learner.
How many people are called Prentice in the UK?
A total of 28 babies have been registered as Prentice across the 5 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 7 more in Scotland.
Where is Prentice most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Prentice ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #626 in 2009. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.