NameCensus.

UK surname

Prentice

An apprentice in a trade or craft, often a mason, carpenter, or other skilled worker.

In the 1881 census there were 3,537 people recorded with the Prentice surname, ranking it #1,281 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,957, ranked #1,362, down from #1,281 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Glenkens, Biggar, Symington, Thankerton and Dolphinton and Carstairs, Carstairs Junction and Carnwath.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Prentice is 5,088 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 40.1%.

1881 census count

3,537

Ranked #1,281

Modern count

4,957

2016, ranked #1,362

Peak year

1999

5,088 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Prentice had 3,537 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #1,281 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,957 in 2016, ranked #1,362.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 4,578 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Prentice surname distribution map

The map shows where the Prentice surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Prentice surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Prentice over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 2,114 #1,381
1861 historical 2,236 #1,315
1881 historical 3,537 #1,281
1891 historical 3,890 #1,232
1901 historical 4,578 #1,239
1911 historical 2,793 #1,864
1997 modern 4,931 #1,329
1998 modern 5,071 #1,341
1999 modern 5,088 #1,351
2000 modern 5,084 #1,341
2001 modern 4,928 #1,350
2002 modern 5,040 #1,343
2003 modern 4,939 #1,338
2004 modern 4,835 #1,365
2005 modern 4,828 #1,349
2006 modern 4,862 #1,343
2007 modern 4,852 #1,361
2008 modern 4,848 #1,371
2009 modern 4,962 #1,368
2010 modern 5,035 #1,383
2011 modern 4,951 #1,386
2012 modern 4,881 #1,373
2013 modern 4,971 #1,375
2014 modern 5,012 #1,368
2015 modern 4,973 #1,364
2016 modern 4,957 #1,362

Geography

Back to top

Where Prentices are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, Edinburgh and Glasgow. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Glenkens, Biggar, Symington, Thankerton and Dolphinton, Carstairs, Carstairs Junction and Carnwath, South Norfolk and Chirnside and Area. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Govan Combination Lanark
4 Edinburgh Edinburgh
5 Glasgow Lanark

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Glenkens Dumfries and Galloway
2 Biggar, Symington, Thankerton and Dolphinton South Lanarkshire
3 Carstairs, Carstairs Junction and Carnwath South Lanarkshire
4 South Norfolk 015 South Norfolk
5 Chirnside and Area Scottish Borders

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Prentice

These lists show first names that appear often with the Prentice surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Prentice

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Prentice, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Prentice surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Prentice household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs

Within London, Prentice is most associated with areas classed as Terraced and Semi-Detached Suburbs, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly concentrated in suburban areas, these terraced and semi-detached developments are less overcrowded than the Supergroup average, and resident households are more likely to own two or more cars. There are fewer residents aged 25-44, and a larger share of residents employed in administrative and secretarial occupations. Residents are more likely to have been born in the UK, less likely to have been born in the EU or Africa, and much less likely to self-identify as Bangladeshi.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Prentice is most concentrated in decile 5 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

5
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Prentice falls in decile 6 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

6
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Prentice is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Prentice, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Prentice

The surname Prentice originated in England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "aprentis," meaning "apprentice" or "learner." This occupational name was initially given to individuals who were bound to a master craftsman or tradesman to learn a particular skill or trade.

During the medieval period, the Prentice surname was found primarily in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire. Early records show variations in spelling, including Prentiz, Prentys, and Prentisse. One of the earliest known references to the name is in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1279, where it is recorded as "Willelmus Prentiz."

The Prentice surname appears in several historical documents, such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, which mention a "Johannes Prentys." The name is also found in the Kalendar of Abbot Sampsons Eton College from 1557, where a "William Prentice" is recorded as a scholar.

Notable individuals with the Prentice surname throughout history include:

1. Robert Prentice (c. 1500 - c. 1560), an English churchman and academic who served as the Dean of Winchester. 2. John Prentice (1587 - 1620), an English clergyman and theologian who wrote several religious works. 3. Thomas Prentice (1621 - 1673), an English Puritan minister and author of various theological treatises. 4. Ralph Prentice (1640 - 1723), a prominent English clockmaker known for his intricate and innovative timepieces. 5. William Prentice (1701 - 1768), an English writer and compiler of the "Parliamentary Register" and other historical works.

Some historical place names associated with the Prentice surname include Prentice Farm in Oxfordshire and Prentice Hill in Buckinghamshire, both of which likely derived their names from individuals or families bearing this surname in the respective areas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Prentice families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Prentice surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lanarkshire leads with 967 Prentices recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.70x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 967 8.70x
Middlesex 419 1.22x
Essex 222 3.27x
Suffolk 206 4.92x
Midlothian 164 3.56x
Surrey 144 0.86x
Norfolk 118 2.23x
Warwickshire 105 1.21x
Yorkshire 92 0.27x
Renfrewshire 76 2.85x
West Lothian 71 13.71x
Kent 64 0.55x
Ayrshire 62 2.41x
Durham 56 0.55x
Northamptonshire 51 1.58x
Dunbartonshire 48 5.19x
Hertfordshire 46 1.94x
Lincolnshire 35 0.64x
Bedfordshire 34 1.91x
East Lothian 34 7.47x
Lancashire 30 0.07x
Leicestershire 30 0.79x
Stirlingshire 30 2.37x
Clackmannanshire 29 10.21x
Oxfordshire 27 1.27x
Worcestershire 27 0.60x
Cambridgeshire 26 1.19x
Berwickshire 23 5.52x
Cheshire 22 0.29x
Somerset 21 0.38x
Roxburghshire 18 2.89x
Gloucestershire 17 0.25x
Sussex 17 0.29x
Staffordshire 16 0.14x
Buckinghamshire 15 0.72x
Perthshire 14 0.91x
Selkirkshire 14 4.50x
Devon 13 0.18x
Hampshire 13 0.18x
Huntingdonshire 12 1.76x
Northumberland 12 0.23x
Peeblesshire 12 7.42x
Fife 11 0.54x
Kirkcudbrightshire 11 2.21x
Wigtownshire 9 1.97x
Wiltshire 9 0.30x
Carmarthenshire 6 0.41x
Royal Navy 6 1.46x
Berkshire 5 0.19x
Argyllshire 4 0.42x
Nottinghamshire 4 0.09x
Dumfriesshire 2 0.26x
Angus 1 0.03x
Derbyshire 1 0.02x
Dorset 1 0.04x
Rutland 1 0.40x
Shropshire 1 0.03x
Sutherland 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Cambusnethan in Lanarkshire leads with 122 Prentices recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.39x.

Place Total Index
Cambusnethan 122 49.39x
Barony 114 4.05x
Govan 99 3.60x
Carnwath 94 136.71x
Hamilton 61 19.67x
Glasgow 52 2.63x
Islington London 48 1.44x
Lambeth 48 1.60x
West Calder 48 52.86x
Bothwell 45 14.92x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 41 2.21x
Dalserf 38 34.24x
Hackney London 36 1.87x
Hammersmith London 33 3.90x
Lesmahagow 31 26.36x
Old Monkland 31 7.02x
Alloa 29 21.06x
Lanark 29 32.41x
Whitburn 29 38.76x
Dalziel 28 23.40x
Douglas 28 87.34x
Poplar London 28 4.31x
New Monkland 27 8.21x
Birmingham 26 0.90x
Kensington London 26 1.36x
Mile End Old Town 24 4.42x
Stowmarket 24 49.59x
Kilbarchan 23 28.41x
Camberwell 22 1.00x
Chelsea London 22 2.12x
West Ham 22 1.47x
Bathgate 21 18.68x
Shotts 21 15.78x
South Leith 21 4.05x
Bonhill 20 13.48x
Ipswich St Mathew 20 17.04x
Edmonton 19 6.86x
Falkirk 19 6.40x
West Greenock 19 3.97x
Blantyre 18 15.55x
Carluke 18 17.83x
Paddington London 18 1.42x
St Pancras London 17 0.61x
Whitekirk Tynninghame 17 136.55x
Barston 16 422.16x
Wellingborough 16 9.84x
Sandon 15 273.22x
Bermondsey 14 1.37x
Creeting St Mary 14 501.79x
Deptford St Paul 14 1.55x
Langley 14 297.24x
Neithrop 14 19.62x
Shoreditch London 14 0.94x
Carmichael 13 141.30x
Hellesdon 13 133.88x
Hook 13 17.34x
Ipswich St Margaret 13 9.15x
Pettinain 13 306.60x
Shudy Camps 13 330.79x
Arlington 12 441.18x
Ballingdon Cum Brundon 12 139.70x
Burston 12 247.93x
Diss 12 26.48x
Offton 12 292.68x
Tutnall Cobley 12 204.43x
Askham Bryan 11 308.12x
Bethnal Green London 11 0.74x
Bromley London 11 1.45x
Broxted 11 134.15x
Edinburgh Canongate 11 9.38x
Kelso 11 17.72x
Oundle 11 30.42x
Perth Middle Church 11 18.95x
Rutherglen 11 6.74x
St George Hanover 11 2.45x
Walston 11 275.00x
Wing 11 57.08x
Dalmellington 10 13.22x
Tring 10 15.80x
Wanstead 10 8.41x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Prentice surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Prentice surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 138
John 104
George 68
James 58
Thomas 56
Henry 44
Charles 40
Arthur 29
Frederick 27
Robert 27
Walter 26
Samuel 21
Joseph 20
Albert 18
Ernest 15
Harry 15
Alfred 14
David 14
Richard 13
Herbert 12
Edward 11
Wm. 8
Percy 6
Frank 5
Fred 5
Stephen 5
Christopher 4
Fredrick 4
Alexander 3
Benjamin 3
Francis 3
Frederic 3
Mark 3
Oliver 3
Thos. 3
Tom 3
Aron 2
Chas 2
Chas. 2
Edmund 2
Eustace 2
Fredk. 2
Henery 2
Hugh 2
Hy. 2
Isaac 2
Peter 2
Seymour 2
Sidney 2
Zachariah 2

FAQ

Prentice surname: questions and answers

How common was the Prentice surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3,537 people were recorded with the Prentice surname. That placed it at #1,281 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Prentice surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,957 in 2016. That gives Prentice a modern rank of #1,362.

What does the Prentice surname mean?

An apprentice in a trade or craft, often a mason, carpenter, or other skilled worker.

What does the Prentice map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Prentice bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.