Price
A classic Welsh surname meaning “son of Rhys,” later fixed in hereditary form as Price.
The #91 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 1,312 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Price comes from the Welsh patronymic Ap Rhys or Prys, meaning “son of Rhys.” Rhys is an old Welsh personal name often explained as meaning “ardour” or “enthusiasm.” Over time, the Welsh patronymic form fused into the shorter surname Price, especially after hereditary surnames became fixed.
History
The name is strongly associated with Wales and the Welsh borderlands, and it became especially widespread as Welsh naming practices shifted from changing patronymics to permanent family surnames. Historical forms include Ap-Rhys, Prys, and Price, with many later variant spellings and related surnames reflecting the same Welsh root. It is now one of the most common surnames in Wales and also very common across the English-speaking world.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Some older writers also linked related forms such as Breese and Breeze to the same Welsh name family, showing how fluid spelling could be in earlier records.
From the historical record
“Rolls, Pruet, is the present French form. PRICE, v.Preeoe, Prees(e>. Madot [Madog] Ap-Ris, a.d. 1381. — Thierry,Co»g. de I' Angleterre, App. IL 27. Harry Ap-Rice, A.D. 1544.-^ PrivyPurseExp.^PrincessMaryiiBs.x6&\e;^y). I = Pretty (q.v.) + man. Prichard”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)