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

Prayer, 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 Prayer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Prayer in America

Prayer is the 64721st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Prayer surname appeared 307 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 Prayer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Prayer 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 Prayer

The surname PRAYER is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from the Anglo-Norman French word "priere," meaning prayer or petition. It was likely an occupational name given to someone who worked as a prayer leader, scribe, or clerk in a religious institution.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name PRAYER can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1195, where a William le Preyur is mentioned. This early spelling variation provides insight into the name's evolution over time.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various records across England, such as the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1242, which mentions a Robert le Preyer, and the Assize Rolls for Cambridgeshire in 1260, where a John le Preier is listed.

The PRAYER surname may also have connections to certain place names in England, such as Prayerleaze in Gloucestershire or Pryor's Bank in Yorkshire, although the exact link is uncertain.

Notable individuals with the surname PRAYER include:

1. William PRAYER (c. 1540-1609), an English clergyman and academic who served as the rector of Tawstock in Devon.
2. Richard PRAYER (fl. 1630), an English merchant and author who wrote a travel narrative titled "The True Relation of the Voyage undertaken by Sir Thomas Roe."
3. John PRAYER (1715-1779), a British architect and surveyor who worked on several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields.
4. Elizabeth PRAYER (1782-1854), an English writer and translator known for her works on biblical subjects and her translations of German theological texts.
5. Thomas PRAYER (1817-1888), a British artist and painter who specialized in landscapes and marine scenes, exhibiting his works at the Royal Academy.

While the PRAYER surname has roots in medieval England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by emigrants and settlers over the centuries. However, its origins can be traced back to the early occupational and religious connections associated with the word "prayer" in the Anglo-Norman French language.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Prayer

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

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

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

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