Meaning of Last Name

Price is a patronymic name derived from the Welsh "ap Rhys" meaning "son of Rhys". It is a common surname among those of Welsh ancestry. At the time of the British Census of 1881, its frequency was highest in Radnorshire (38.2 times the British average), followed by Brecknockshire, Herefordshire, Monmouthshire, Flintshire, Shropshire, Denbighshire, Glamorgan, Carmarthenshire and Worcestershire. The name is thought to have originally been spelled "Pryce" and pronounced "Preese". Name experts believe that the change of the "y" to "i" and the subsequent change in pronunciation was originally an affectation meant to make the name seem more English and therefore more prestigious. See also Welsh surnames