Prather
An English surname most likely from a place-name or an older spelling variant of a similar-sounding name.
The #2,298 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 19,467 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Prather is usually treated as an English surname, but its exact origin is not securely established. In many cases it is thought to be a variant spelling that developed from a place-based name or from a surname with similar sound and form, rather than from a clear occupational or descriptive root. Because early records were inconsistently spelled, several different local origins may have fed into the modern surname.
History
The surname is found in English-speaking records and later became established in North America, where it is now most common. Like many surnames of uncertain medieval origin, Prather has likely been shaped by regional pronunciation and by the loose spelling practices of clerks and record-keepers. It appears today chiefly in the United States, especially among families with long-settled Anglo-American roots.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Prather is close in form to Prater, but the two names are not always the same family line, so genealogical proof matters.