History of your Surname
Get access to Prey family records.Start a free trial

Prey Family History

Prey Name Meaning

Irish: variant of Pray 1 found in Lancashire England. German and Austrian German: metonymic occupational name for a brewer from preu breu ‘brew’. Compare Pray 3 and Preyer . French: habitational name from a place so named in Eure.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Pray, Rey, Pry, Krey, Prem, Pretz, Ory, Urey, Drey, Pusey

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Prey family from?

You can see how Prey families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Prey family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Prey families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 5 Prey families living in Connecticut. This was about 50% of all the recorded Prey's in USA. Connecticut had the highest population of Prey families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Prey surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Prey ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Prey. 23% of Prey men worked as a Farmer and 13% of Prey women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Prey were Salesman and Farmer. .

View Census Data for Prey | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    23%
  • Laborer
    17%
  • Carpenter
    6%
  • Salesman
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    13%
  • Clerk
    13%
  • Teacher
    13%
  • Farmer
    10%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Prey family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Prey. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Prey census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Prey

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Prey. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Prey immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Prey. For the veterans among your Prey ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Prey military records

You've only scratched the surface of Prey family history

Discover More

What is the average Prey lifespan?

Between 1955 and 2004, in the United States, Prey life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1955, and highest in 1997. The average life expectancy for Prey in 1955 was 43, and 68 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Prey

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Prey family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Prey last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial