Find out how popular the last name Prak is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Prak.

Prak, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Prak surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Prak in America

Prak is the 22000th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Prak surname appeared 1,179 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Prak.

We can also compare 2010 data for Prak to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Prak

The surname PRAK has its origins in the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the regions of present-day India and Bangladesh. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th to 15th centuries.

The name PRAK is derived from the Sanskrit word "prak," which means "east" or "eastern." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals or families who hailed from the eastern regions of the Indian subcontinent or those who migrated eastwards.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname PRAK can be found in the Ain-i-Akbari, a detailed document commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the 16th century. This text provides insights into the administrative and social structure of the Mughal Empire, including references to individuals bearing the surname PRAK.

During the 17th century, the PRAK surname appeared in various historical records and manuscripts, particularly in the regions of Bengal and Assam. These documents often mentioned individuals with the surname PRAK holding positions of prominence, such as landowners, administrators, or scholars.

Notable individuals with the surname PRAK throughout history include:

1. Ramakrishna Prak (1836-1886), a renowned Bengali mystic and spiritual leader who played a significant role in the revival of Hinduism in the 19th century.
2. Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), born Narendranath Datta, was a prominent Hindu philosopher and spiritual teacher who introduced Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world. He is often referred to as Vivekananda Prak.
3. Keshab Chandra Prak (1838-1884), a prominent social reformer and a key figure in the Bengal Renaissance movement.
4. Jibanananda Prak (1899-1954), a celebrated Bengali poet and writer who is considered one of the most influential figures in modern Bengali literature.
5. Rakhal Chandra Prak (1836-1910), a close disciple of Ramakrishna and one of the founders of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission.

Additionally, the surname PRAK has been associated with various place names in the Indian subcontinent, such as Prakpur, Praknagar, and Prakshala, which further solidifies its connection to the eastern regions of the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Prak

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Prak.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Prak was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Prak has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Prak was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Prak, please contact us.

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