Show ContentsPreson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Preson

What does the name Preson mean?

The surname Preson is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, church, or type of tree. Habitation names form the other broad category of surnames that were derived from place-names. They were derived from pre-existing names for towns, villages, parishes, or farmsteads. Other local names are derived from the names of houses, manors, estates, regions, and entire counties. As a general rule, the greater the distance between an individual and their homeland, the larger the territory they were named after. For example, a person who only moved to another parish would be known by the name of their original village, while people who migrated to a different country were often known by the name of a region or country from which they came. The Preson family lived in the parish of Preston in the county of Midlothian (now part of the region of Lothian), Scotland.

Early Origins of the Preson family

The surname Preson was first found in Westmorland, where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Preson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Preson research. Another 160 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1222, 1296, 1327, 1370, 1396, 1478, 1557 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Preson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Preson Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Preston, Prestone and others.

Early Notables of the Preson family

More information is included under the topic Early Preson Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Preson family to Ireland

Some of the Preson family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 98 words (7 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Preson migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Preson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Nicholas Preson, who landed in Virginia in 1711 1


The Preson Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Praesto ut praestem
Motto Translation: I undertake what I may perform


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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