Pryor Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Pryor last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Pryor last name
Meaning of the Pryor last name: prior of a priory. Pryor is an English and Welsh surname from prior, the head of a priory, from Latin prior, "first". Since a prior had no family, the last name usually went to his servant or to someone with a serious, churchly manner. Curiously, the same Latin word gives us the English word prior.
Arms associated with the Pryor name
Coats of arms associated with the Pryor last name belong to the English heraldic tradition, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Pryor family history
This is only a glimpse of the Pryor story. The full Pryor 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 Pryor coat of arms. Get the full Pryor report.
Pryor name FAQ
What does the Pryor name mean?
Prior of a priory. Common variants include Prior, Pryer.
Where does the Pryor surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in Wales, the United States and Australia.
Is there a Pryor coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Pryor coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).