Priest Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Priest Name Meaning: Thought to have derived from the Anglo-Saxon word 'preoston' meaning 'priest settlement'.

May refer to someone who lived in a settlement that a priest lived in or a settlement owned by the church. This surname may have also been taken from a settlment of the same name (for example Preston in Lancashire).

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Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Priest Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Priest family

Profession Census Frequency
School 473
Labourer 52
Chain Maker 51
Private Means 31
None 27
Coal Miner Hewer 26
Farm Labourer 23
General Labourer 23
At Home 21
General Servant (domestic) 21
Domestic Servant 20
Clerk 19
Farmer 18
Scholar 16
At School 16
Dressmaker 14
Bricklayer 13
Carman 13
Charwoman 13
House Keeper 13
Laundress 13
Shop Assistant 13
Carter 13
Assisting In The Business 10
Blacksmith 10

Priest Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Priest 100% 26,449
2 Prest 83% 7,821
3 Prust 67% 1,884
4 Prost 67% 735
5 Prist 83% 717
6 Preest 83% 371
7 Preist 67% 340
8 Prestoe 57% 142
9 Preast 67% 114

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The surname Priest is the most popular version of all its varients

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