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

Pratt, 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 Pratt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pratt in America

Pratt is the 541st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pratt surname appeared 61,671 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 21 people would have the surname Pratt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pratt 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 Pratt

The surname Pratt originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "prat," meaning a small meadow or piece of land. This name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked on such a plot of land.

The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the late 12th century. In the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, a William Prat is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also include a reference to a Hugo Prat in Oxfordshire.

During the 13th century, the name Pratt appeared in various parts of England, including Hertfordshire, Yorkshire, and Norfolk. It was sometimes spelled differently, such as Prat, Pratte, or Prate.

The Domesday Book, completed in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the surname Pratt. However, it does mention several place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as Pratis in Oxfordshire and Prate in Wiltshire.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Pratt was Sir John Pratt (c. 1520-1594), an English landowner and Member of Parliament. Another prominent figure was Sir Roger Pratt (1628-1684), an English judge and Chief Justice of the King's Bench.

In the 18th century, Benjamin Pratt (1737-1819) was a successful American merchant and philanthropist. He founded the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.

Charles Pratt (1830-1891), an American businessman and philanthropist, was a co-founder of the Standard Oil Company and a major benefactor of educational institutions.

Lastly, Orville Pratt (1819-1891) was a prominent leader and apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during the 19th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pratt

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

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 Pratt 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 Pratt 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 Pratt was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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