NameCensus.

UK surname

Prisk

A surname of English origin, possibly derived from the Norman French 'prise' meaning a prize or capture.

In the 1881 census there were 244 people recorded with the Prisk surname, ranking it #11,258 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 257, ranked #16,485, down from #11,258 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Redruth, Illogan and Wendron. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall and Blaenau Gwent.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Prisk is 277 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.3%.

1881 census count

244

Ranked #11,258

Modern count

257

2016, ranked #16,485

Peak year

1998

277 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Prisk had 244 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,258 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 257 in 2016, ranked #16,485.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 245 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Prisk surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Prisk surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Prisk 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 238 #9,120
1861 historical 228 #10,703
1881 historical 244 #11,258
1891 historical 219 #13,974
1901 historical 237 #13,574
1911 historical 245 #13,084
1997 modern 259 #14,912
1998 modern 277 #14,646
1999 modern 264 #15,223
2000 modern 263 #15,228
2001 modern 262 #15,034
2002 modern 262 #15,327
2003 modern 258 #15,293
2004 modern 249 #15,739
2005 modern 252 #15,551
2006 modern 252 #15,642
2007 modern 256 #15,647
2008 modern 258 #15,732
2009 modern 251 #16,368
2010 modern 248 #16,886
2011 modern 239 #17,138
2012 modern 237 #17,132
2013 modern 255 #16,551
2014 modern 256 #16,643
2015 modern 252 #16,705
2016 modern 257 #16,485

Geography

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Where Prisks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Redruth, Illogan, Wendron, Gwennap and St Hilary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall and Blaenau Gwent. 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 Redruth Cornwall
2 Illogan Cornwall
3 Wendron Cornwall
4 Gwennap Cornwall
5 St Hilary Cornwall

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 053 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 051 Cornwall
3 Blaenau Gwent 002 Blaenau Gwent
4 Cornwall 040 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 052 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Prisk

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Prisk

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

Ageing Communities

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

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

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Prisk is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. 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

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Prisk is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Prisk falls in decile 4 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.

4
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Prisk

The surname PRISK has its origins in Cornwall, England, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Cornish word "prisk," which means "brave" or "valiant." The name was likely given as a nickname to someone who displayed exceptional courage or bravery.

In the early records, the name was often spelled as "Priske" or "Pryske." One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the Cornish Parish Records of 1587, where a John Priske was recorded as residing in the parish of St. Erth.

The PRISK surname has a strong connection to the Cornish mining industry, as many bearers of the name worked as tin and copper miners in the region. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the PRISK family played a significant role in the development of the mining industry in Cornwall.

One notable figure bearing the PRISK surname was Richard Prisk (1749-1822), a renowned mining engineer and entrepreneur from Camborne, Cornwall. He was instrumental in developing new mining techniques and establishing several successful mining ventures in the region.

Another prominent individual with the PRISK surname was John Prisk (1810-1878), a Cornish Methodist minister and author. He wrote several religious works, including "The Methodist Hymn-Book Companion" and "The Christian's Daily Companion."

In the early 20th century, William Prisk (1890-1962) made a name for himself as a talented artist and sculptor. His works were exhibited in various galleries across Cornwall and beyond, and he is celebrated for capturing the essence of Cornish life and landscapes in his art.

The PRISK surname has also been associated with various place names in Cornwall, such as Prisk Farm and Prisk Croft. These names likely originated from early PRISK settlers or landowners in those areas.

While the PRISK surname is predominantly found in Cornwall, it has also spread to other parts of England, as well as to countries like Australia, Canada, and the United States, primarily due to migration and the Cornish diaspora.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Prisk families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Prisk 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. Cornwall leads with 217 Prisks recorded in 1881 and an index of 80.86x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 217 80.86x
Cumberland 8 3.92x
Lancashire 8 0.28x
Brecknockshire 6 12.66x
Devon 1 0.20x
Dorset 1 0.64x
Kent 1 0.12x
Yorkshire 1 0.04x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Illogan in Cornwall leads with 44 Prisks recorded in 1881 and an index of 618.85x.

Place Total Index
Illogan 44 618.85x
Camborne 40 361.66x
Wendron 30 804.29x
Redruth 21 276.68x
Marazion 11 3437.50x
Gwennap 9 177.87x
Madron Penzance 8 81.97x
Creed Grampound 7 2187.50x
Perranuthnoe 7 958.90x
St Hilary 7 897.44x
Liverpool 6 3.51x
Llanelly 6 105.82x
Millom 6 96.00x
Ludgvan 5 233.64x
Sithney 5 184.50x
St Stithians 5 337.84x
St Just In Penwith 4 76.78x
St Erth 3 184.05x
Dalton In Furness 2 18.42x
Egremont 2 41.07x
Madron 2 92.17x
Falmouth 1 10.53x
Gulval 1 57.80x
Kenwyn 1 14.25x
Ladock 1 131.58x
Lyme Regis 1 53.76x
Milton In Gravesend 1 8.24x
Paul 1 20.49x
St Clement 1 35.71x
St Columb Major 1 44.84x
St Gluvias Penryn 1 46.51x
St Just In Roseland 1 85.47x
Stanghow 1 105.26x
Totnes 1 34.60x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 23
Eliza 15
Elizabeth 12
Annie 9
Susan 8
Jane 7
Ann 4
Bessie 3
Caroline 3
Ellen 3
Emily 3
Avice 2
Biddy 2
Charlotte 2
Elizth. 2
Frances 2
Grace 2
Jenifer 2
Lavinia 2
Mabel 2
Maria 2
Minna 2
Amelia 1
Bridget 1
Catherine 1
Dorcas 1
Dorothy 1
Edith 1
Elisabeth 1
Eliz. 1
Elizh. 1
Elizth 1
Emma 1
Fanny 1
Harriet 1
Henrietta 1
Idith 1
Joey 1
Johanna 1
Lile 1
Lillie 1
Lilly 1
Louisa 1
Marian 1
Millicent 1
Minnie 1
Phillipa 1
Polly 1
Rosina 1
Sally 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 18
Joseph 15
Thomas 13
Henry 12
William 12
Samuel 7
James 4
Richard 4
Hercules 3
Alfred 1
Charlie 1
Edgar 1
Edward 1
Frederick 1
Jabez 1
Paul 1
Phillip 1
Richd.J. 1
Sydney 1
Willm. 1
Wm.John 1

FAQ

Prisk surname: questions and answers

How common was the Prisk surname in 1881?

In 1881, 244 people were recorded with the Prisk surname. That placed it at #11,258 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Prisk surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 257 in 2016. That gives Prisk a modern rank of #16,485.

What does the Prisk surname mean?

A surname of English origin, possibly derived from the Norman French 'prise' meaning a prize or capture.

What does the Prisk map show?

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