The Prescott surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 16,975 people carried this name — #2,134 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 17,400 people counted. That is up 2% from 16,686 in 2000.

See Prescott on the map Look up another surname

Share

What the name means

The meaning of the Prescott surname

An English habitational surname from any of several places in England.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Prescott» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a local name, from where the family lived: ‘of Prescott’.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 620 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 6 births for the Prescott name in 1890.

Most were registered in Leinster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 300 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Leinster 3
Ulster 3

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Prescott was found among the farmers of 2 counties.

It was most frequent in Lancashire: 25 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 400. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Lancashire 25
Cheshire 12

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

143 families named Prescott, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 780 people lived in those households, 5.5 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 8 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

New Hampshire 71
Massachusetts 31
Maine 17
North Carolina 12
South Carolina 8
Connecticut 2
Vermont 1
Virginia 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 258 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Prescott in American newspapers,
1853–1924.

Newspaper page from Lewisburg Chronicle carrying the name Prescott
Lewisburg Chronicle 1853-11-25
Newspaper page from San Antonio Light carrying the name Prescott
San Antonio Light 1924-04-23
Newspaper page from The Birmingham Age-herald carrying the name Prescott
The Birmingham Age-herald 1911-11-26

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 7,375 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Prescott in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

16,804 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Prescott. The most, 2,822, date from the 1920s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Victoria, at 1.4 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 5,857
Victoria 5,259
South Australia 2,836
Queensland 1,291
Tasmania 757
Western Australia 578
ACT (Canberra) 150
Northern Territory 4

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Prescott.

Who carried it

People named Prescott,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Peter Prescott
    Peter Prescott d. 1852 · Methodist minister
  • George Prescott d. 1790 · politician
  • Mary Prescott d. 1948
  • Sir George Prescott d. 1790
  • Catherine Creighton Mills d. 1832
  • John Prescott 1327–1412 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Prescott,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,548 records

1,548 records of the Prescott name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 561
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 318
  • Other U.S. records 669
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Steven James Prescott

    Born 1946; from Brightwaters, New York. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1968 in Gia Dinh, South Vietnam. Buried at Long Island National Cemetery, New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Ralph W. Prescott

    Born 1906 in Massachusetts. Enlisted 1942 at Boston; waiter from Essex County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1982, buried at Massachusetts National Cemetery, Massachusetts.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record William John Prescott

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Teutonic from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 19; laborer. From Liverpool, England; bound for New York.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,548 records for Prescott in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · City of Asheville (public domain, PDDL). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia527 records

527 records of the Prescott name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 324
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 74
  • Other Australian records 129
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Thomas Prescott

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Dromedary, sailing from England in 1819. Native of London, Middlesex. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1835. Married 1835 in Hobart, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record George Prescott

    Died 1910 in General Hospital, Launceston, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1910.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Thomas Prescott

    Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1831. Married 1831 in Hobart, Tasmania.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 527 records for Prescott in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain).

Canada161 records

161 records of the Prescott name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 113
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 16
  • Other Canadian records 32
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Theresa Lillian Prescott

    Buried in 1983 at Burnsland Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 70.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Reginald Paris Prescott

    Died 1944 in Dartmouth, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Robert John Prescott

    Died in service in 1963.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 161 records for Prescott in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

United Kingdom43 records

43 records of the Prescott name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 36
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 6
  • Welsh wills index cards 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Ann Prescott

    Buried in 1851 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 46.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record William Prescott

    Will proved in 1936; of Swansea.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. T. Prescott

    Yorkshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 43 records for Prescott in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand25 records

25 records of the Prescott name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 14
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 10
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Ronald Thomas Marshall Prescott

    Died 1977, aged 65; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Matilda Prescott

    Died 1962, aged 74; buried at Tairua Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mildred Iris Prescott

    Died 1996, aged 95; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 25 records for Prescott in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands6 records

6 records of the Prescott name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 3
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 2
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 1
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Hamlet Prescott

    Married in 1945 in Rotterdam.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Birth record Sally Marij Prescott

    Born 1823 in Vlissingen.

    Open Archives, Zeeuws Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Helen Beatrice Prescott

    In the population register of Zutphen; born 1891.

    Open Archives, Regionaal archief Zutphen (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Prescott in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

France4 records

4 records of the Prescott name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Nicholas John Prescott

    Born 1950 in Ireland; died 1993 in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (Haute-Savoie).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record William Prescott

    Born 1924 in Great Britain; died 2001 in Caen (Calvados).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Prescott in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Prescott.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Prescott is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Prescott volume
Scroll to Top