DePriest
A surname most likely referring to “the priest” in French or a Norman/French-influenced form of the same occupational name.
The #7,744 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 72,019 Americans shares it.
Etymology
DePriest is usually understood as an anglicized surname built from French elements, with de meaning “of” and priest referring to a cleric. In practice, it is often treated as a French-influenced form of an English occupational surname, or as a surname that once identified someone connected with a priest by service, tenancy, or location rather than by priestly status itself. The exact path can vary by family line, and some bearers may have independent origins in different countries or spellings.
History
In the United States, DePriest is best known as a Southern surname and appears in records in several spelling styles, reflecting the way surnames were standardized only gradually. Some families may have adopted or altered the name from earlier forms such as Priest, De Priest, or related French-style spellings. It is a relatively uncommon surname overall, but it has been established in American records for generations.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because surnames were often written phonetically, the same family line may appear in records with and without the space after De, which can make genealogical searches tricky.