indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Type Surname (from nickname)
Usage French, English, Norman, Medieval French
Other Forms FormsPrud'homme, Purdom, Proudham, Prodham, Prudom, Prudholm, Purdholm, Purdon, Prodomme, Purdome, Purdone
Meaning & History
French (Prud’homme) and English (of Norman origin): nickname from Old French prud’homme ‘wise’, ‘sensible man’, a cliché term of approbation from the chivalric romances. It is a compound of Old French proz, prod ‘good’, with the vowel influenced by crossing with prudent ‘wise’ + homme ‘man’. This name in the US seems to be most commonly found in Louisiana.