Surname Preys - Meaning and Origin
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Preys: What does the surname Preys mean?
The last name Preys is a variant of the Germanic word "Preyer" or "Preyerin," which means "one who prays" or "a prayer." It can also be found in the Czech form of the word as “Prejs,” as well as in Dutch, Swedish, and Danish forms. The name is thought to have first been used in Saxon Germany, which is now part of the Netherlands.
In Germany, the name has its roots in religion and faith. People with the last name Preys were likely to be members of the church and to have a strong spiritual connection to faith. This reverence for faith was also common for other Germanic peoples and communities of the time, including Norse and Protestant cultures.
Although the name Preys is not common in the United States today, it has been found in the human populations of almost every region. It can be found in church census records, immigration documents, and other written records. It may have been brought to the United States by people who adopted the name during their travels and journeys or by those who were born with it.
The name Preys today is often seen as a part of a greater spiritual legacy. It signifies a sense of reverence, fortitude, and faith in a higher being. People with this last name were likely to have a strong bond with religion, and the sense of a meaningful connection to faith is something that can span centuries and generations.
Order DNA origin analysisPreys: Where does the name Preys come from?
The surname Preys is found in many locations across the world today. In the United States, the name is most commonly seen in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Missouri. In Europe, it is commonly found in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. This name can also be found in other countries such as Canada, France, The Netherlands, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
The origin of this last name is believed to be German and is derived from the Middle High German word "Frise", meaning a friar or a monk. The surname is likely a reference to a person who worked in a monastery or was related to one of its members. It is also possible that the name was given to those who came from a Franciscan or Dominican order.
This surname is believed to have been introduced to the United States during the late 19th century, though family records from the 1700s do exist. It is likely to be more prevalent among descendants of the original settlers who came from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Most of the people bearing the last name Preys today likely descend from the original Preys family in Europe or the United States. While it is not among the most common surnames in the world, it can be found throughout many areas in the world.
Variations of the surname Preys
The surname Preys is most commonly found in Germany and North America. It is a variant form of the German surname Preis, meaning "price" or "prize." It is also linked to the Silesian surname Pries, which has a similar meaning. Alternative spellings and variants of the surname Preys include Preis, Pries, Priess, Prys, Priesser, Preiser, Preyssinger, Preyss, Preyser, Peress, Preß, Preßer, Preiß, Preißer, Preßinger, and Prahl.
In German, the surname is typically pronounced "Prize," while in North America it is more commonly pronounced "Praise." The English translation of the surname is "Price," while the French version is "Prix".
The surname Preys is particularly common among the Jewish population in Germany, and is often found as a derivative of other surnames such as Doebereiner, Berner, and Buhrmann.
The surname has been linked to people of Bohemian and Austrian origin since the Middle Ages. An immigrant by the name of Adam Preis is recorded as arriving in Pennsylvania in 1737. In the 1900 US Census, there were 1,041 people with the surname Preys recorded as living in the United States. By 2019, this had increased to 8,478.
Famous people with the name Preys
- Nicholas Preys, an American Olympic weightlifter who won the gold medal at the 2017 World Championships
- Carlo Preys, a German opera singer
- Stig Preys, a Swedish former footballer
- Agnethe Preys, a Norwegian politician
- Gabriel Preys, a French skeleton racer
- António Preys, a Portuguese futsal player
- Erwin Preys, an Austrian-German luger
- Magnus Preys, a Danish former footballer
- Martina Preys, a German women's field hockey player
- Nils Preys, a Norwegian businessman
- August Preys, a Swiss-German Lutheran minister
- Lurel Preys, a Dutch politician
- Franck Preys, a French politician
- Reiner Preys, a German chess master
- Utho Preys, a Dutch racing cyclist
- Donald Preys, an American professional baseball player
- Solveig Preys, a Dutch volleyball player
- Maria Preys, a Belgian figure skater
- Ove Preys, a Norwegian Olympic mountaineer
- Karel Preys, a Belgian-Danish sculptor
- Mekk Preys, a German footballer
- Ernst Preys, a German Olympic equestrian
- Oskar Preys, a Latvian-Russian chess master
- Martin Preys, a German-Russian husband of Anna Pavlova
- Wroc Preys, an Austrian Olympic bobsledder
- Ion Preys, a Romanian Olympic swimmer
- Antonio Preys, a Portuguese Olympic handball player
- Stanley Preys, an American football player
- Luc Preys, a Belgian basketball coach
- Franziska Preys, an Austrian-German tennis player