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

Pray, 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 Pray surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pray in America

Pray is the 8700th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pray surname appeared 3,773 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Pray.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pray 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 Pray

The surname PRAY has its origins in England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "preie," meaning "prey" or "plunder." This name was likely given to someone who made a living through hunting or foraging.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the PRAY surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, dated 1273, which mentions a person named Richard le Preye. The name also appears in the Pipe Rolls of Wiltshire in 1268, where a person named William Preye is listed.

During the Middle Ages, the PRAY surname was primarily concentrated in the southern counties of England, particularly in Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire. Some variant spellings from this period include Prai, Praye, and Preye.

The PRAY surname has a notable historical connection to the village of Prayag (now known as Allahabad) in India. In the 16th century, a British soldier named John PRAY was stationed in this region and is believed to have been one of the first Europeans to visit the sacred confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers.

One of the earliest prominent figures with the PRAY surname was Sir Richard PRAY (1510-1585), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Wiltshire. He served as the Sheriff of Wiltshire in 1557 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1575.

Another notable person was Edward PRAY (1634-1718), an English composer and organist who served as the organist at the Chapel Royal during the reign of King Charles II.

In the 18th century, John PRAY (1717-1793) was a renowned clockmaker from London, known for his intricate and highly accurate timepieces.

James PRAY (1804-1878), born in Wiltshire, was a prominent architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.

Finally, William PRAY (1835-1909), a descendant of the Wiltshire PRAY family, was a renowned explorer and naturalist who led several expeditions to South America and authored several books on the region's flora and fauna.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pray

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

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

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

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