Prevost
A French surname meaning “provost” or “head official,” originally a title for an administrator or commander.
The #7,831 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 73,024 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Prevost comes from Old French prevost, the ancestor of modern French prévôt, meaning a provost, magistrate, or chief officer. The word goes back to Latin praepositus, “one placed in charge,” from prae- (“before”) and positus (“placed”). As a surname, it likely began as a nickname or occupational name for someone who held that office or worked for such a person.
History
The name appears early in England in Norman contexts, and medieval records show forms such as le Prevost. It remained especially associated with French-speaking families, and later appears in England and other countries through migration from France, Switzerland, and Norman-descended lines. Some older surname writers also discussed unrelated local or regional possibilities, but the provost derivation is the standard explanation.
Origin
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Fun fact
The same Latin root behind Prevost also gave English words like “provost” and titles for school or college administrators.
From the historical record
“PRETYMAN PREVOST (A.-Fr.-Lat.) Provost [O.Fr. pre- vost (mod. priiidt); Lat. praeposit-us, a prefect, commander] Alan Prepositus. — Hund. Rolls. PREW (A.-Fr.-Lat.) Gallant, Valiant [M.E. preiv, prue, O. Fr. prou, preu (Fr. preux) , prod, gallant; app. f. *prud-us, a syncopated form of Lat. ^rouid-us, foreseeing]”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)