Surname Entry

Price

A Welsh patronymic surname from ap Rhys, shaped by sound change and spelling regularization in records.

Price is a well-known Welsh surname that emerged through contraction of an earlier patronymic expression.

Meaning and Origin

Price is commonly traced to ap Rhys, with the original patronymic particle merged into a single hereditary surname form.

Geographic Distribution

The surname is concentrated in Wales and western England and is also established in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Historical Records and Context

Price appears in parish and legal records from the early modern period as patronymics shifted into fixed surnames.

Spelling Variants

  • Pryce
  • Prys

Notable People

  • Leontyne Price (soprano)
  • Vincent Price (actor)

References