Prendergast
An Anglo-Irish surname from a place-name in Pembrokeshire, later carried to Ireland by a notable medieval family.
The #5,936 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 53,232 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname is locational: it comes from Prendergast, a parish in Pembrokeshire. The place-name is traditionally linked to an older form containing the elements behind the family name, though the exact earliest shape is not fully secure in the older sources. Medieval bearers took the name from the place, and the surname then spread beyond Wales, especially into Ireland.
History
The name is closely associated with Maurice de Prendergast, who is said to have come from Pembrokeshire and to have helped in the Norman invasion of Ireland. Historical dictionaries note later medieval Prendergasts in Ireland, and the surname became established there in several branches. In modern usage it is strongly associated with Irish family history as well as Welsh place-origin.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older reference works say some spellings lost the first r, which helps explain forms such as Pendergast.
From the historical record
“PREIST, v. Prest. PRENDERGAST for Pend(e)ga3t, q.v. Prendergast, a parish in Pembrokeshire, owes its name to Prendergast Place, formerly a seat of the Prendergast family. PRENTICE 1 (A.-Fr.-Lat.) aphaeresized forms PRENTIS(SJof Apprentice [M..K prentis, prentys, prentyce, aprentis, .O.Fr. aprentis ;”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)