Prescott

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A city located in central Arizona known for its historic downtown and proximity to scenic areas ; a family name borne by various notable individuals throughout history
2. A city in Arizona situated in Yavapai County ; a common English surname derived from a place name meaning priest's cottage
3. An Arizona municipality in the central part of the state ; a personal surname with origins in Old English place nomenclature

Etymology: Prescott is a surname and place name rather than a common word, and its origin is plain: it comes from Old English "preost", meaning "priest", combined with "cot", meaning "cottage" or "dwelling". Taken together it meant "the priest's cottage", a name given to a house or hamlet where a priest lived or where church land was held. Many English surnames of this kind arose from a residence or landholding, and Prescott is one of them. The name is found in several English places, most notably Prescot in Merseyside, recorded in medieval documents under forms close to the modern spelling. Because it began as a place name, the surname was then taken by people who lived at or came from those locations, a pattern common across English family names.