The Pryor surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 27,805 people carried this name — #1,263 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 10,600 people counted. That is up 3% from 27,065 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Pryor surname

A surname originating as an occupation.

From Middle English Prior, Priur (surname), from Middle English prior, priour (“prior”).

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Pryor» (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 name of office: ‘the prior’.

An early record he cites: Hugh le Priur, Suffolk, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Prior and Pryor.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 623 · public domain.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Pryor was found among the farmers of 7 counties.

It was most frequent in Hertfordshire: 30 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 333. 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. His list gives one count for the spellings Prior and Pryor.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Hertfordshire 30
Cornwall 24
Cambridgeshire 20
Hampshire 16
Norfolk 10
Bedfordshire 8
Suffolk 7

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 print

Pryor in American newspapers,
1914–1919.

Newspaper page from Sequachee Valley News carrying the name Pryor
Sequachee Valley News 1914-04-23
Newspaper page from The News Scimitar carrying the name Pryor
The News Scimitar 1919-11-13
Newspaper page from Sequachee Valley News carrying the name Pryor
Sequachee Valley News 1919-10-16

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 129,761 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Pryor in Australian newspapers,
1840s–2000s.

31,263 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Pryor. The most, 6,514, date from the 1930s. 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 South Australia, at 1.9 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 13,418
South Australia 6,455
Victoria 4,354
Queensland 3,417
Tasmania 1,834
Western Australia 1,383
ACT (Canberra) 309
Northern Territory 58

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

Who carried it

People named Pryor,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Brazure Williams Pryor d. 1827 · politician
  • Caroline Pryor d. 1865
  • Alice Louisa Pryor d. 1929
  • Louisa Mary Pryor d. 1915
  • Caroline Mordaunt d. 1918
  • Philip Pryor 177–1825 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Pryor,
in the records of 6 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 States2,236 records

2,236 records of the Pryor name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,000
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 478
  • Other U.S. records 758
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Frederick J. Pryor

    Born 1911 in North Dakota. Enlisted 1942 at Portland, Oregon; lumberman from Klamath County, Oregon. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1989, buried at Eagle Point National Cemetery, Oregon.

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

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the Adriatic from Liverpool, aged 17; servant. From Liverpool, Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Floyd W. Pryor

    Born 1930; from Christian County, Kentucky. U.S. Army, light weapons infantryman; declared dead 1950 in North Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 2,236 records for Pryor in the United States.

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

Australia588 records

588 records of the Pryor name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 236
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 157
  • Other Australian records 195
  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 Isaac Pryor

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Albion, sailing from England in 1823. Native of Prittlewell, Essex. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1838. Married 1838 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 Clarence Leslie Pryor

    Died 1926 in McHugh's Pottery Wellington St, Launceston, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1926.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Margt Pryor

    Arrived in Victoria in 1896 aboard the Orizaba, aged 19.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 588 records for Pryor in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (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) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · City of Ballarat, Avenue of Honour Plaques (CC BY 3.0 AU). 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); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada78 records

78 records of the Pryor name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 57
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 6
  • Other Canadian records 15
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Annette Pryor

    Died 1998, aged 74; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Ann T. Pryor

    Died 1915 in Bedford, 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 Eric Morton Pryor

    Died in service in 1918.

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

Showing 3 of 78 records for Pryor in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · 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 Kingdom14 records

14 records of the Pryor name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 12
  • Welsh wills index cards 2
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Margaret Jane Pryor

    Will proved in 1926; of Bangor, Carnarvon.

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

    Rifle Brigade. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Alfred Edwin Pryor

    Will proved in 1939; of Conway, Carnarvon.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)

Showing 3 of 14 records for Pryor in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: 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).

Netherlands3 records

3 records of the Pryor name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 2
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Mary Pryor

    Died 1961 in 's-Gravenhage, aged 42.

    Open Archives, Haags Gemeentearchief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Hendrik Pryor

    In the population register of Utrecht.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Johanna Jacoba Pryor

    In a population register; born 1795.

    Open Archives, Erfgoedcentrum Achterhoek en Liemers (CC BY 4.0)

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

France2 records

2 records of the Pryor 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 Cecilia Alphoncine Pryor

    Born 1937 in District Suriname (Surinam); died 2001 in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni (Guyane).

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

    Born 1924 in Great Britain; died 1996 in Périgueux (Dordogne).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

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).

Other spellings of this name

The same name, spelled another way.

Spellings that H. B. Guppy (England and Wales, 1890) or the Registrar-General for Ireland (births index of 1890) counted as one name together with Pryor.

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Pryor.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Pryor 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 Pryor volume
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