Pratt Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Pratt last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Meaning and origin of the Pratt last name
Meaning of the Pratt last name: cunning, astute. The Pratt surname is English and began as a nickname from an old word for a trick or clever craft, so it described someone cunning or quick-witted. The last name took root in southern and central England. A curious detail of this family name meaning: English Pratts reached New England early, and the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn carries the name of the industrialist Charles Pratt.
Arms associated with the Pratt name
Heraldry uses only a few colours and metals, so a coat of arms associated with the Pratt surname can be read at a distance, and its blazon fits in a single line.
Get your full Pratt family history
This is only a glimpse of the Pratt story. The full Pratt history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Pratt coat of arms. Get the full Pratt report.
Pratt name FAQ
What does the Pratt name mean?
Cunning, astute. Common variants include Prett, Pritt, Pratte.
Where does the Pratt surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States and Canada.
Is there a Pratt coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Pratt coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).