NameCensus.

UK surname

Prest

A surname derived from the word "priest" referring to someone who served as a priest.

In the 1881 census there were 925 people recorded with the Prest surname, ranking it #4,151 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,201, ranked #4,954, down from #4,151 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kirkby Malzeard, Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall and Bradford. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include County Durham, Ryedale and Sunderland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Prest is 1,251 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 29.8%.

1881 census count

925

Ranked #4,151

Modern count

1,201

2016, ranked #4,954

Peak year

1999

1,251 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Prest had 925 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #4,151 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,201 in 2016, ranked #4,954.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,164 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Young Families in Industrial Towns.

Prest surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Prest surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Prest 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 621 #4,162
1861 historical 732 #3,724
1881 historical 925 #4,151
1891 historical 958 #4,317
1901 historical 1,062 #4,539
1911 historical 1,164 #4,018
1997 modern 1,184 #4,767
1998 modern 1,236 #4,760
1999 modern 1,251 #4,748
2000 modern 1,250 #4,739
2001 modern 1,230 #4,701
2002 modern 1,249 #4,735
2003 modern 1,193 #4,829
2004 modern 1,188 #4,854
2005 modern 1,165 #4,884
2006 modern 1,161 #4,903
2007 modern 1,170 #4,918
2008 modern 1,182 #4,890
2009 modern 1,207 #4,918
2010 modern 1,240 #4,907
2011 modern 1,214 #4,921
2012 modern 1,200 #4,916
2013 modern 1,219 #4,925
2014 modern 1,212 #4,972
2015 modern 1,204 #4,956
2016 modern 1,201 #4,954

Geography

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Where Prests are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kirkby Malzeard, Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall, Bradford, St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to County Durham, Ryedale, Sunderland and Redcar and Cleveland. 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 Kirkby Malzeard Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Knaresborough (Bilton and Harrogate, Scriven with Tentergate, Knaresborough), Pannall Yorkshire, West Riding
3 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding
4 St Michael-le-Belfry, St Giles Yorkshire, East Riding
5 Blackburn Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 County Durham 018 County Durham
2 Ryedale 007 Ryedale
3 Sunderland 028 Sunderland
4 Redcar and Cleveland 011 Redcar and Cleveland
5 County Durham 017 County Durham

Forenames

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First names often paired with Prest

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Prest

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Prest, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Young Families in Industrial Towns

Nationally, the Prest surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Young Families in Industrial Towns, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Prest household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods house predominantly young, UK-born individuals identifying with a White ethnic group with dependent children. Long-term disability and unpaid care are prevalent, and religious affiliations are uncommon. Housing is terraced or semi-detached and social rented sector housing is the norm. Unemployment is above the Supergroup average, and employment is principally in elementary occupations, as process plant and machine operatives, or in caring and leisure services. Educational attainment is low. The group is scattered throughout former industrial towns in the Midlands and the South Wales Valleys.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Prest is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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 located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Prest is most concentrated in decile 7 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.

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Prest falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Prest 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 Prest, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Prest

The surname Prest originated in England and France during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "prest," meaning "priest" or "clergyman." The name was likely first adopted as an occupational surname for those who served as priests or had some association with the church or religious orders.

In England, the surname Prest can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1273, where a person named John Prest is mentioned. The Prest surname is also found in other historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which lists a Robert Prest.

The Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Prest. However, it does list several places with names that may have contributed to the development of the surname, such as Prestone (Lancashire) and Prestbury (Cheshire).

In France, the surname Prest or variations like Prest, Preste, and Le Prest were also present during the medieval period. One notable example is Jean Prest, a French philosopher and theologian who lived from around 1220 to 1290. He was known for his contributions to the study of logic and metaphysics.

Other notable individuals with the surname Prest include:

1. John Prest (c. 1540-1612), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. 2. William Prest (c. 1498-1558), an English Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the reign of Queen Mary I for his religious beliefs. 3. Thomas Prest (c. 1587-1649), an English soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the English Civil War. 4. James Prest (1794-1860), a British civil engineer and surveyor who worked on various infrastructure projects, including the construction of canals and railways. 5. Sir Henry Prest (1761-1834), a British naval officer and colonial administrator who served as the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia from 1805 to 1809.

The Prest surname has also been associated with various place names and locations throughout England and France, reflecting the geographical distribution of the name over time. Some examples include Prestbury (Gloucestershire, England), Prestwick (Ayrshire, Scotland), and Prestatyn (Denbighshire, Wales).

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Prest families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Prest 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. Yorkshire leads with 550 Prests recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.14x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 550 6.14x
Durham 111 4.13x
Lancashire 102 0.95x
Cheshire 31 1.55x
Norfolk 27 1.94x
Middlesex 21 0.23x
Surrey 17 0.39x
Kent 10 0.32x
Cornwall 9 0.88x
Devon 9 0.48x
Northumberland 9 0.67x
Aberdeenshire 6 0.72x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.73x
Cambridgeshire 4 0.70x
Somerset 3 0.21x
Derbyshire 2 0.14x
Sussex 2 0.13x
Warwickshire 2 0.09x
Berkshire 1 0.15x
Kincardineshire 1 0.91x
Lincolnshire 1 0.07x
Oxfordshire 1 0.18x
Royal Navy 1 0.93x
Suffolk 1 0.09x
Wiltshire 1 0.13x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Middlesbrough in Yorkshire leads with 27 Prests recorded in 1881 and an index of 23.16x.

Place Total Index
Middlesbrough 27 23.16x
Blackburn 25 8.77x
Ripon 20 96.29x
Stockton On Tees 18 13.90x
Ilkley 17 116.20x
Kirkby Malzeard 17 867.35x
Welburn In Malton 17 982.66x
Pittington 16 211.64x
York St Maurice 14 83.09x
Bradford 13 6.00x
Leeds 13 2.57x
Normanby In 12 50.15x
Darlington 11 10.60x
Halifax 11 8.37x
Holy Trinity 11 5.11x
Headingley Cum Burley 10 17.36x
Sowerby In Thirsk 10 185.53x
Stalham 10 375.94x
Witton Cum Twambrooks 10 56.34x
York St Mary 10 26.98x
Barnsley 9 9.75x
Bishopwearmouth 9 3.90x
Lewannick 9 452.26x
Northallerton 9 78.81x
Scarborough 9 11.06x
Wyke In Bradford 9 56.21x
Azerley 8 375.59x
Bainbridge 8 379.15x
Kirby Knowle 8 2285.71x
Nether Hallam 8 6.61x
Preston 8 2.79x
Sessay 8 800.00x
Snape 8 551.72x
York St Michael Le 8 275.86x
Islington London 7 0.80x
Kearsley 7 31.04x
Killinghall 7 333.33x
Methley 7 55.56x
Rastrick 7 28.16x
Sheffield 7 2.46x
Snilesworth 7 2187.50x
Worsley 7 10.59x
Alverthorpe Cum Thornes 6 18.46x
Brotton 6 51.37x
Castle Northwich 6 90.91x
Eldmire With Crakehill 6 2727.27x
Everton 6 1.76x
Great Yarmouth 6 5.22x
Helperby 6 303.03x
Hunslet 6 4.30x
Kelloe 6 206.90x
Knottingley 6 38.14x
Lower Darwen 6 42.64x
Ludham 6 243.90x
Morton In Helmsley 6 7500.00x
Norton In Malton 6 55.30x
Richmond 6 42.89x
Shadwell London 6 23.73x
Skelton In Guisbrough 6 24.78x
Sutton 6 58.82x
Windle 6 9.95x
York St Cuthbert 6 73.26x
York St Giles In 6 71.09x
York St Nicholas In 6 119.05x
Broughton In Salford 5 5.10x
Chapel Allerton 5 37.34x
Dalton In Thirsk 5 649.35x
Elwick Hall 5 980.39x
Fulshaw 5 136.24x
Gateshead 5 2.49x
Heighington 5 253.81x
Milton Abbott 5 183.82x
Moorsley 5 173.61x
Peterhead 5 11.30x
Pickhill With Roxby 5 574.71x
Salford 5 1.59x
Sculcoates 5 3.52x
Sproxton 5 980.39x
Sutton Under Whitstone 5 543.48x
Wardleworth 5 8.16x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 76
Elizabeth 44
Jane 33
Sarah 27
Margaret 24
Annie 17
Hannah 15
Alice 13
Ann 13
Isabella 13
Ellen 10
Emma 9
Eliza 8
Ada 7
Emily 7
Maria 7
Harriet 6
Louisa 6
Martha 6
Clara 5
Esther 4
Kate 4
Amelia 3
Amy 3
Barbara 3
Betsy 3
Charlotte 3
Edith 3
Elizth. 3
Fanny 3
Frances 3
Agnes 2
Anne 2
Catherine 2
Christiana 2
Florence 2
Gertrude 2
Grace 2
Jemimah 2
Lilian 2
Lucy 2
Lydia 2
Margret 2
Maud 2
Selina 2
Caraline 1
Caroline 1
Eleaner 1
Eleanor 1
Elizabeth. 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 63
William 62
Thomas 45
George 30
James 26
Charles 21
Robert 20
Edward 18
Alfred 10
Frederick 10
Henry 10
Joseph 10
Arthur 8
Walter 8
Richard 7
Francis 6
Christopher 5
Frank 4
Tom 4
Wm. 4
Albert 3
David 3
Emile 3
Fred 3
Geo. 3
Harry 2
Hugh 2
Jas. 2
Luke 2
Mark 2
Ralph 2
Robt. 2
Samuel 2
Thos. 2
Arnold 1
Chs. 1
Clarence 1
Clarkson 1
Edwd. 1
Emmanuel 1
Enos 1
Ernest 1
Fredric 1
Jno.Wm. 1
Joab 1
Johnson 1
Jonathan 1
Jos. 1
Joshua 1
Lewis 1

FAQ

Prest surname: questions and answers

How common was the Prest surname in 1881?

In 1881, 925 people were recorded with the Prest surname. That placed it at #4,151 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Prest surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,201 in 2016. That gives Prest a modern rank of #4,954.

What does the Prest surname mean?

A surname derived from the word "priest" referring to someone who served as a priest.

What does the Prest map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Prest 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.