2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Prattis
A habitational name for someone from any of several places in England named Pratts.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Prattis. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Prattis surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Prattis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Prattis, the largest self-reported group is Black at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and White (6.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Prattis
The surname PRATTIS has its origins in England, dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "prat", which means a small or trifling person or thing. The name was initially used as a nickname for someone of small stature or insignificant appearance.
PRATTIS is thought to have evolved from the earlier spelling variations such as Pratt, Prat, and Prati. These variations can be found in historical records and documents from various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name PRATTIS can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from the year 1327, where it appears as "Robertus Prat". Another early reference is in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1371, which mentions a "John Praty".
During the medieval period, the name PRATTIS was often associated with place names containing the word "Prat" or "Pratt". For example, there was a place called "Prat's Green" in Essex, which may have been the origin of some PRATTIS families.
Notable individuals with the surname PRATTIS throughout history include:
1. Richard Prattis (c. 1550-1615), an English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London.
2. John Prattis (1662-1732), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Wangford in Suffolk.
3. William Prattis (1725-1803), a British officer in the Royal Navy who served during the American Revolutionary War.
4. Sarah Prattis (1796-1872), an English philanthropist and social reformer known for her efforts in improving education for girls.
5. Henry Prattis (1811-1885), a British explorer and naturalist who traveled extensively in Africa and published several works on the flora and fauna of the continent.
While the surname PRATTIS may have evolved and changed over time, its origins can be traced back to the early English language and the medieval era, where it was used as a descriptive nickname for individuals of small stature or insignificance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Prattis
Among Census respondents with the surname Prattis, the largest self-reported group is Black at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and White (6.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Prattis bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Prattis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American81.4% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino8.0% · 9
- White6.2% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Prattis
Prattis appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+4 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,971 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-17 bearers (-13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,611 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 4,971 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.1%) | Down 16,611 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Prattis surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #130,610 | #147,221 | -12.7% |
| Count | 130 | 113 | -13.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Prattis bearers went from 130 to 113 (-13.1% change). The surname moved down 16,611 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #147,221.
FAQ
Prattis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Prattis?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Prattis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Prattis?
Prattis ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Prattis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Prattis.
Has Prattis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Prattis went from 130 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 17 (-13.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Prattis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Prattis, the largest self-reported group is Black at 81.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.0%) and White (6.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Prattis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.4% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Prattis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (81.4%), Hispanic (8.0%), White (6.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Prattis (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Prattis mean?
A habitational name for someone from any of several places in England named Pratts. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Prattis (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Prattis?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Prattis at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.