Price is a patronymic name derived from the Welsh "ap Rhys" meaning "son of Rhys". The given name Rhys means "enthusiasm" in Welsh. It is a common surname among those of Welsh ancestry.[1] At the time of the British Census of 1881,[2] its frequency was highest in Radnorshire (38.2 times the British average), followed by Brecknockshire, Herefordshire, Monmouthshire, Flintshire, Shropshire, Denbighshire, Glamorgan, Carmarthenshire and Worcestershire. The surname has many other spellings including Priess, Priesz, and many others.

The name is thought to have originally been spelled "Pryce" and pronounced "Preese". Name experts believe that the change of the "y" to "i" and the subsequent change in pronunciation was originally an affectation meant to make the name seem more English and therefore more prestigious.[3]

Notable people named Price

See also: Rhys § The patronymic form

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In fiction

See also

References

  1. ^ An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names With an Essay on their Derivation and Import; Arthur, William, M.A.; New York, NY: Sheldon, Blake, Bleeker & CO., 1857
  2. ^ "Price Surname Meaning". forebears.co.uk. Retrieved 20 January 2014
  3. ^ Patrick Hanks and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989. ISBN 0–19-211592-8 Parameter error in ((ISBN)): invalid character.
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