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

Prentiss, 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 Prentiss surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Prentiss in America

Prentiss is the 13081st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Prentiss surname appeared 2,347 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 Prentiss.

We can also compare 2010 data for Prentiss 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 Prentiss

The surname Prentiss is an English habitational name derived from places in Suffolk and Essex, England. Originally spelled Prentiz, it comes from the Old English word "prentis" meaning an apprentice or learner. The name emerged as a surname in the 13th century, likely referring to someone who worked as an apprentice.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, the name appears as Prentiz, Prentelest, and Prentelai, referring to various places and manors in Suffolk and Essex. Some of the earliest recorded bearers of the name include Robert Prentiz in 1273 from Essex and William Prentiz from Suffolk in 1327.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname was John Prentis (c. 1620-1673), an early settler in New England and one of the founders of Roxbury, Massachusetts. Another early bearer was Robert Prentiss (1619-1679), who settled in Newbury, Massachusetts, and served as a representative in the General Court of Massachusetts.

In the 17th century, the name also appears as Prentice, Prentis, and Prentiss, with variations in spelling common during that time. One notable figure was Seaborn Prentiss (1808-1850), a lawyer and politician from Mississippi who served as a United States Senator and was considered a gifted orator.

Other notable individuals with the surname include Sergeant Prentiss (1619-1674), an early settler of Newton, Massachusetts, and William Prentiss (1642-1691), a minister and author in New England. In more recent times, Prentiss Mellen (1764-1840) was a politician and jurist from Massachusetts, serving as the fourth Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.

Overall, the surname Prentiss has a long history dating back to medieval England, with its roots in the Old English word for an apprentice or learner. While originally concentrated in Suffolk and Essex, the name eventually spread to other parts of England and later to the American colonies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Prentiss

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

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

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

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