Preston Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Preston last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Preston coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Preston last name
Meaning of the Preston last name: priest's farm. Preston is a surname from the many places called Preston, "priest's farm", land held by or for the church. The largest is Preston in Lancashire, but the name arose in many English counties and in Scotland, especially the Lothians. A curious detail: so many places share the name that most Preston families have no link to one another beyond the meaning of their last name.
Arms associated with the Preston name
Heraldry uses only a few colours and metals, so a coat of arms associated with the Preston surname can be read at a distance, and its blazon fits in a single line.
Get your full Preston family history
This is only a glimpse of the Preston story. The full Preston history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Preston coat of arms. Get the full Preston report.
Preston name FAQ
What does the Preston name mean?
Priest's farm. Common variants include Prestone, Prestoun, Prestin.
Where does the Preston surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Scotland and Ireland.
Is there a Preston coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Preston coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).