NameCensus.

UK surname

Pryse

A surname derived from the Welsh word for a brave or valiant person.

In the 1881 census there were 160 people recorded with the Pryse surname, ranking it #14,860 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 110, ranked #29,225, down from #14,860 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes and St Marylebone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include South Northamptonshire, Ceredigion and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pryse is 166 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 31.3%.

1881 census count

160

Ranked #14,860

Modern count

110

2016, ranked #29,225

Peak year

1901

166 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pryse had 160 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,860 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 110 in 2016, ranked #29,225.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 166 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Spacious Rural Living.

Pryse surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Pryse surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pryse 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 135 #13,964
1861 historical 147 #15,539
1881 historical 160 #14,860
1891 historical 129 #20,285
1901 historical 166 #17,011
1911 historical 141 #18,571
1997 modern 109 #25,650
1998 modern 113 #25,731
1999 modern 106 #26,885
2000 modern 107 #26,700
2001 modern 116 #25,089
2002 modern 109 #26,552
2003 modern 108 #26,486
2004 modern 114 #25,870
2005 modern 111 #26,260
2006 modern 103 #27,785
2007 modern 107 #27,557
2008 modern 108 #27,684
2009 modern 113 #27,520
2010 modern 113 #28,162
2011 modern 108 #28,811
2012 modern 110 #28,514
2013 modern 116 #27,992
2014 modern 121 #27,503
2015 modern 118 #27,833
2016 modern 110 #29,225

Geography

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Where Pryses are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), London parishes, St Marylebone, Llangirrig and Llanfihangel-y-Croyddin. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to South Northamptonshire, Ceredigion, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Swansea. 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 Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos) Glamorganshire
2 London parishes London 3
3 St Marylebone London (North Districts)
4 Llangirrig Montgomeryshire
5 Llanfihangel-y-Croyddin Cardiganshire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 South Northamptonshire 007 South Northamptonshire
2 Ceredigion 001 Ceredigion
3 Rhondda Cynon Taf 010 Rhondda Cynon Taf
4 Swansea 010 Swansea
5 Ceredigion 011 Ceredigion

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pryse

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pryse

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

Retired Professionals

Group

Spacious Rural Living

Nationally, the Pryse surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Spacious Rural Living, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Pryse household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These predominantly ageing households typically have no resident dependent children. Most are owner-occupiers and live in detached houses in low density residential developments (although renting is more common than in the rest of the Supergroup). White ethnicity predominates. Residents are typically beyond retirement age but those still in work have managerial, professional or skilled trade occupations. White ethnicity and Christian religious affiliation predominate. Neighbourhoods are located throughout rural UK.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Challenged Inner London Communities

Within London, Pryse is most associated with areas classed as Challenged Inner London Communities, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Resident in some of Inner London’s most over-crowded communities, many families have children and marriage/civil partnership rates are above the Supergroup average. Other adults such as students live in communal establishments. Few residents have Level 4 educational qualifications, levels of unemployment are above the Supergroup average, and employment is concentrated in service occupations such as distribution, hotels and restaurants. Relative to the Supergroup average, fewer residents identify as being of mixed/multiple ethnicities, Black or Other Asian.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pryse 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

Pryse falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

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

Meaning and origin of Pryse

The surname Pryse originated in Wales during the late medieval period. It is believed to be a variant spelling of the Welsh name Prys, which itself is derived from the word "prys" meaning "impatient" or "eager" in Welsh. The name Prys was initially used as a nickname or descriptive name for someone with an impatient or eager personality.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Pryse can be found in historical records from the 15th and 16th centuries in various parts of Wales, particularly in the counties of Anglesey, Caernarvonshire, and Denbighshire. The name was often anglicized to Pryse or Prise during this period, as English became more widely used in official records.

One notable historical figure with the surname Pryse was Sir John Pryse (c. 1501-1573), a Welsh landowner and Member of Parliament for Merionethshire in the 16th century. Another was Edmund Pryse (c. 1542-1624), a Welsh author and translator who published one of the earliest Welsh-English dictionaries in 1588.

In the 17th century, the name Pryse appeared in various records, such as the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1662-1689, which listed households in Wales. Some examples include Thomas Pryse of Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd in Denbighshire and John Pryse of Llanddona in Anglesey.

The 18th century saw the birth of several notable individuals with the surname Pryse, including William Pryse (1722-1799), a Welsh landowner and Member of Parliament for Cardiganshire, and Pryse Pryse (1776-1849), a Welsh landowner and High Sheriff of Cardiganshire.

In the 19th century, one of the most prominent figures with the surname Pryse was Pryse Loveden Pryse (1808-1891), a Welsh landowner and Member of Parliament for Cardiganshire and Montgomeryshire. He was also a Deputy Lieutenant of Cardiganshire and a Justice of the Peace.

Throughout its history, the surname Pryse has been associated with various place names and locations in Wales, such as Gogerddan, Cardiganshire, where the Pryse family owned estates for several centuries. The name has also been subject to various spelling variations over time, including Pryce, Pryse, Prise, and Pryce-Jones.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pryse families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pryse 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. Cardiganshire leads with 49 Pryses recorded in 1881 and an index of 127.90x.

County Total Index
Cardiganshire 49 127.90x
Montgomeryshire 27 75.02x
Warwickshire 10 2.52x
Middlesex 9 0.57x
Radnorshire 9 71.03x
Caernarfonshire 8 12.60x
Pembrokeshire 8 16.03x
Brecknockshire 7 22.29x
Carmarthenshire 6 9.06x
Worcestershire 6 2.93x
Cheshire 4 1.15x
Sussex 4 1.51x
Anglesey 3 10.78x
Monmouthshire 3 2.64x
Berkshire 2 1.70x
Lancashire 2 0.11x
Gloucestershire 1 0.32x
Hampshire 1 0.31x
Rutland 1 8.67x
Surrey 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. Llangurig in Montgomeryshire leads with 22 Pryses recorded in 1881 and an index of 2558.14x.

Place Total Index
Llangurig 22 2558.14x
Llanfihangel Y Croyddyn 15 1111.11x
Yspytty Ystwyth 9 1800.00x
Birmingham 6 4.55x
Llananno 6 3750.00x
Llanelly 6 159.57x
Vainor Upper 6 3157.89x
Tenby St Mary In 5 196.85x
Ashton On Mersey 4 223.46x
Aston 4 3.67x
Carmarthen St Peter 4 70.67x
Gwnnws Lower 4 1666.67x
Kings Norton 4 21.75x
Nevin 4 370.37x
Vainor Lower 4 1250.00x
Bedwellty 3 14.96x
Cwmdauddwr 3 731.71x
Henllys 3 1363.64x
Holyhead 3 57.80x
Llanwenog 3 357.14x
Newtown 3 130.43x
St Marylebone London 3 3.58x
St Pancras London 3 2.37x
Aberystwith 2 60.61x
Bangor 2 32.68x
Brighton 2 3.74x
Cilycwm 2 338.98x
Clynnog 2 229.89x
Hulme 2 5.14x
Llandissilio 2 363.64x
Bristol St Michael 1 37.88x
Carisbrooke 1 22.37x
Clewer 1 20.70x
Cyfoethy Brenin 1 158.73x
Eastbourne 1 8.21x
Gwnnws Upper 1 270.27x
Halesowen 1 55.56x
Haverfordwest St Thomas 1 100.00x
Hay 1 85.47x
Hove 1 8.61x
Kensington London 1 1.15x
Llancynfelin 1 204.08x
Llanidloes 1 37.45x
Sandhurst 1 43.86x
Shoreditch London 1 1.47x
St George Hanover 1 4.88x
The Hill 1 75.76x
Tref Eglwys 1 102.04x
Uppingham 1 72.99x
Wimbledon 1 11.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 16
Anne 6
Jane 6
Sarah 6
Eliza 4
Elizabeth 4
Margaret 4
Annie 3
Emma 3
Catherine 2
Elizth. 2
Laura 2
Ada 1
Ann 1
Anna 1
Beatrice 1
Bertha 1
Cath. 1
Cathrine 1
Decima 1
Edith 1
Elizebeth 1
Ellen 1
Esther 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Grace 1
Gwen 1
Janet 1
Louisa 1
Margaretta 1
Margret 1
Maude 1
Sarahann 1
Serlena 1
Sophia 1
Winifred 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 17
Edward 5
David 4
James 4
Richard 4
Thomas 4
Morgan 3
Pryse 3
William 3
Abraham 2
Charles 2
Robert 2
Samuel 2
Albert 1
Alexander 1
Arthur 1
Daniel 1
Elias 1
Eric 1
Evan 1
Fredrick 1
Fulwar 1
George 1
Henry 1
Herbert 1
Jacob 1
Job 1
Joseph 1
Josiah 1
Leanord 1
Lewes 1
Lewis 1
Rich. 1
Stephen 1
Thos. 1
Walter 1

FAQ

Pryse surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pryse surname in 1881?

In 1881, 160 people were recorded with the Pryse surname. That placed it at #14,860 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pryse surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 110 in 2016. That gives Pryse a modern rank of #29,225.

What does the Pryse surname mean?

A surname derived from the Welsh word for a brave or valiant person.

What does the Pryse map show?

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