Praze

Praze is a place name used for several small settlements in England. The most widely known is Praze-an-Beeble, a village in Cornwall located in the western part of the county between Camborne and Redruth. The surrounding area is rural, with farmland and a network of minor roads linking to larger centers.

The toponym Praze is generally considered to be of Cornish origin, with its precise meaning uncertain. It appears in medieval records and is part of a pattern of Cornish and western English place names that often reflect landscape features, landholding, or settlement patterns. The name persists in modern maps and local usage, sometimes shortened in everyday speech to simply “Praze.”

Praze-an-Beeble sits within a civil parish and functions as a typical small village in Cornwall today. Its economy is primarily rural, centered on agriculture and local services, with residents commonly accessing nearby towns such as Camborne and Redruth for a wider range of facilities, employment, and educational options. The village is connected to the regional road network, facilitating commuting and access to coastal and inland destinations in west Cornwall.

Beyond Cornwall, the name Praze also appears in other parts of England as the designation for minor hamlets or localities within parishes. In each case, Praze generally signifies a small settlement with local importance within its parish, rather than a separate municipality.

See also: Praze-an-Beeble, Cornwall; Cornish toponymy; English place-names.