Prine
A rare surname likely tied to the word for “prince,” though the historical evidence is thin and the form may reflect a later alteration.
The #8,679 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 81,549 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The only historical excerpt provided links Prine to a “corrupt Latinization” of Latin princeps, meaning “prince” or “chief.” That suggests the name may ultimately be connected to an honorific or status word rather than a straightforward occupational surname. However, the evidence is very slight, and the exact path from princeps to the modern spelling Prine is not secure.
History
Because the available source only mentions Prine in passing, there is little to say with confidence about its early history. The surname is rare in the United States, and modern bearers may descend from a few unrelated lines or from a spelling that evolved away from an earlier form such as Prince. The historical note implies an antiquarian or scholarly Latinized spelling rather than a common medieval surname form.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
19th-century surname writers sometimes treated unusual spellings as “corrupt Latinizations,” reflecting how people once reshaped family names into more learned-looking forms.
From the historical record
“to which may be added the corrupt Latinizaiions, Prine^ (princeps), and Arminger (armiger). Digitized by Google”
— English Surnames: an essay on family nomenclature (4th ed.)