2000
#34,071
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 630
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Very Rare Last name
Prescod
A toponymic surname derived from a place name originating in Normandy, France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 873 Americans carry the last name Prescod. That puts it at #32,405 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.25 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 392,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Prescod surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Prescod with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
873
1 in 392,617
Census rank
#32,405
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
761
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 761 bearers of the surname Prescod in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.25 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 32405th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Prescod, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and Two or More Races (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Prescod
The surname PRESCOD is of English origin, originating in the county of Gloucestershire during the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "preost" meaning priest and "cot" meaning cottage or small dwelling, suggesting the name may have referred to a priest's residence or cottage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mention a Richard Prestcote. This is likely an early spelling variation of the surname PRESCOD. Other early spellings include Prestcote and Prescott.
The PRESCOD surname has been linked to several locations in Gloucestershire, including the village of Preston, which was historically known as "Prestes-tun" or "Priest's Town." This suggests that the name may have initially identified someone from that area or associated with the local clergy.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to "Prestecote" in Gloucestershire, which could be a precursor to the PRESCOD surname. However, it is unclear if these entries directly relate to the surname's origins.
One notable individual with the surname PRESCOD was William Prescod (c. 1450 - 1521), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Gloucestershire. He is known to have owned properties in the area and was involved in local affairs.
Another historical figure bearing the name was Sir John Prescod (c. 1570 - 1646), a member of the English gentry and a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of King Charles I.
In the 17th century, records show a John Prescod (1610 - 1682) who served as a Justice of the Peace in Gloucestershire and played a role in local administration.
During the 18th century, a notable individual named Thomas Prescod (1726 - 1798) was a successful merchant and landowner in Gloucestershire. He was also involved in local politics and held various positions within the county.
In the 19th century, a prominent figure with the PRESCOD surname was Sir Henry Prescod (1824 - 1899), a British military officer who served in the Crimean War and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery.
While the PRESCOD surname originated in Gloucestershire, it has since spread to other parts of England and beyond, with variations in spelling and pronunciation occurring over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Prescod
Among Census respondents with the surname Prescod, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and Two or More Races (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Prescod bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Prescod surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American80.0% · 609
- Hispanic or Latino8.8% · 67
- Two or more races7.1% · 54
- White3.3% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Prescod
Prescod appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#30,946
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 751
+121 bearers (+19.2%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Up 3,125 places
2020
#32,405
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 761
+10 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Down 1,459 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #34,071 | 630 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #30,946 | 751 | 0.25 | +121 bearers (+19.2%) | Up 3,125 places |
| 2020 | #32,405 | 761 | 0.25 | +10 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 1,459 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Prescod surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #30,946 | #32,405 | -4.7% |
| Count | 751 | 761 | 1.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.25 | 0.25 | 1.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Prescod bearers went from 751 to 761 (+1.3% change). The surname moved down 1,459 positions in the national ranking, going from #30,946 to #32,405.
FAQ
Prescod surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Prescod?
Name Census estimates that about 873 living Americans carry the surname Prescod. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 392,617 residents.
How common is Prescod?
Prescod ranks #32,405 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.25 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 761 people with the surname Prescod. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (873), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.25 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.25 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Prescod.
Has Prescod become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Prescod went from 751 recorded bearers to 761. That is an increase of 10 (+1.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #30,946 to #32,405.
What does the Census say about the background of Prescod?
Among Census respondents with the surname Prescod, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and Two or More Races (7.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Prescod in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.0% (609 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Prescod appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (80.0%), Hispanic (8.8%), Two or More Races (7.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Prescod (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Prescod mean?
A toponymic surname derived from a place name originating in Normandy, France. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Prescod (0.25 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Prescod?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.