Prince History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The origins of the Anglo-Saxon name Prince come from its first bearer, who was a person who acted in a regal manner, or who had won the title of prince in a contest of some sort. Prince is a nickname surname, which belongs to the category of hereditary surnames. Nicknames form a broad and miscellaneous class of surnames, and can refer directly or indirectly to one’s personality, physical attributes, mannerisms, or even their habits of dress. This surname comes from the Old and Middle French word prince, which means first.

Early Origins of the Prince family

The surname Prince was first found in Yorkshire where they held a family seat from early times and their first records appeared on the early census rolls taken by the early Kings of Britain to determine the rate of taxation of their subjects.