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

Preiss, 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 Preiss surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Preiss in America

Preiss is the 18734th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Preiss surname appeared 1,465 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 Preiss.

We can also compare 2010 data for Preiss 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 Preiss

The surname Preiss has its origins in the German language. It is believed to have originated from the German word "preisen," which means "to praise" or "to extol." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone who was known for their ability to praise or commend others.

The earliest known record of the surname Preiss can be traced back to the medieval period in Germany. During this time, surnames were beginning to become more widespread, and many families adopted surnames derived from occupations, personal characteristics, or places of origin.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Preiss appears in the Bavarian town of Augsburg in the 14th century. A document from 1348 mentions a certain "Johannes Preiss," who was a respected member of the local community.

In the 16th century, the name Preiss appeared in various historical records across different regions of Germany. For example, in 1527, a man named "Hans Preiss" was recorded as living in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which is located in the state of Bavaria.

Another notable figure bearing the surname Preiss was Johann Preiss, a German painter and engraver who lived in the 17th century (approximately 1635-1705). He was known for his religious and allegorical works, and some of his paintings can still be found in churches and museums across Germany.

In the 18th century, a certain "Friedrich Preiss" (1714-1787) was a renowned German mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics and was a member of the prestigious Prussian Academy of Sciences.

During the 19th century, the surname Preiss was also found in various parts of Europe, including Austria and Switzerland. One notable figure from this period was Karl Preiss (1828-1910), an Austrian engineer and inventor who was responsible for developing several innovative machines used in the textile industry.

Another individual of note was Gustav Preiss (1853-1928), a German-born American architect who designed several notable buildings in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His works included the Milwaukee City Hall and the Milwaukee Public Library.

As the surname Preiss spread across different regions and countries, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Preis, Preisz, and Preysz. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in the German language and the concept of praise or commendation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Preiss

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

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

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

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