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

Preister, 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 Preister surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Preister in America

Preister is the 50564th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Preister surname appeared 413 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 Preister.

We can also compare 2010 data for Preister 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 Preister

The surname Preister originated in Germany and can be traced back to the early Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "prister," meaning "priest." The name was likely given to individuals who were members of the clergy or had some connection to the church.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Preister can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Prester" and "Pryster," reflecting the fluidity of surname spellings during this period.

In the 13th century, a nobleman named Henricus Preister was mentioned in the Chronica Regia Coloniensis, a chronicle of the city of Cologne. This suggests that the name had spread to various regions of Germany by this time.

During the 15th century, a prominent figure named Johannes Preister lived in the city of Nuremberg. He was a renowned goldsmith and craftsman, and his works were highly regarded throughout the region.

Another notable individual bearing the surname Preister was Hans Preister, a German painter and engraver who lived in the 16th century. He is known for his intricate woodcut illustrations, many of which depicted religious themes.

In the 17th century, the name Preister appeared in the records of the town of Ulm, where a family of that name owned a successful brewery. This indicates that the name had also become associated with various trades and professions beyond its original religious connections.

Over the centuries, the surname Preister has been carried by numerous individuals, including scholars, artists, and professionals in various fields. Some examples include Christian Gottlob Preister, an 18th-century German theologian and philosopher, and Karl Preister, a 19th-century German botanist and naturalist.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Preister

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

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

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

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