Pridgen
A surname most likely from a medieval nickname or personal name, now especially found in the United States.
The #6,127 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 55,222 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Pridgen is usually treated as an English surname, but its exact origin is not firmly established. It may be a reduced or altered form of an older personal name or nickname beginning with Prid- or Bridg-, though the evidence is not strong enough to be certain. As with many uncommon surnames, the modern spelling may reflect regional pronunciation and later spelling variation.
History
The surname is best known in the United States, where it appears most strongly in the South. Like many less common English-origin surnames in America, it likely spread through colonial-era migration and later internal movement. Because the name is relatively rare and its early record is obscure, its family history is harder to trace than for more common surnames.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The spelling Pridgen is uncommon enough that its family lines are often traceable in local records more easily than through broad surname histories.