2000
#34,904
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 612
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Very Rare Last name
Prestwich
An English locational surname derived from the town of Prestwich near Manchester.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 885 Americans carry the last name Prestwich. That puts it at #32,025 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 387,293 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Prestwich 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 Prestwich with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
885
1 in 387,293
Census rank
#32,025
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
772
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 772 bearers of the surname Prestwich in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 32025th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Prestwich, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Prestwich
The surname Prestwich originates from the town of Prestwich, located in the county of Lancashire, England. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English words "preost" meaning priest and "wic" meaning a farm or dwelling, indicating that the area was likely a settlement owned or occupied by a priest during the Anglo-Saxon period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Prestwich can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Prestewic". This entry suggests that the name was already well-established in the area by the time of the Norman Conquest.
During the medieval period, variations of the surname included Prestwych, Prestwich, and Prestwiche. These spellings were often interchangeable, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spelling in those times.
Prestwich was also used as a place name, referring to the town itself. In 1251, a record mentions "Adam de Prestwich", indicating that the surname had become hereditary by that time.
One notable individual bearing the surname Prestwich was Sir John Prestwich (c. 1498-1567), an English diplomat and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He served as the ambassador to Scotland and played a crucial role in the negotiations surrounding the Treaty of Edinburgh.
Another significant figure was Thomas Prestwich (1585-1654), an English composer and organist who served as the organist at the Chapel Royal during the reigns of James I and Charles I.
In the 18th century, Edmund Prestwich (1714-1777) was a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of Chester.
Moving into the 19th century, Joseph Prestwich (1812-1896) was a renowned English geologist and writer, best known for his contributions to the study of Tertiary and Quaternary periods.
Lastly, Sir John Prestwich (1871-1956) was a British engineer and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the steel industry in South Wales during the early 20th century.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the surname Prestwich throughout history, reflecting the name's deep roots and long-standing presence in England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Prestwich
Among Census respondents with the surname Prestwich, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Prestwich 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 Prestwich surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 696
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 37
- Two or more races3.1% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 6
- Black or African American0.6% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Prestwich
Prestwich 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
#33,036
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 693
+81 bearers (+13.2%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Up 1,868 places
2020
#32,025
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 772
+79 bearers (+11.4%)
Per 100,000 0.26
Rank movement Up 1,011 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #34,904 | 612 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #33,036 | 693 | 0.23 | +81 bearers (+13.2%) | Up 1,868 places |
| 2020 | #32,025 | 772 | 0.26 | +79 bearers (+11.4%) | Up 1,011 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 Prestwich 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 | #33,036 | #32,025 | 3.1% |
| Count | 693 | 772 | 11.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.23 | 0.26 | 12.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Prestwich bearers went from 693 to 772 (+11.4% change). The surname moved up 1,011 positions in the national ranking, going from #33,036 to #32,025.
FAQ
Prestwich surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Prestwich?
Name Census estimates that about 885 living Americans carry the surname Prestwich. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 387,293 residents.
How common is Prestwich?
Prestwich ranks #32,025 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.26 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 772 people with the surname Prestwich. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (885), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.26 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 Prestwich.
Has Prestwich become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Prestwich went from 693 recorded bearers to 772. That is an increase of 79 (+11.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #33,036 to #32,025.
What does the Census say about the background of Prestwich?
Among Census respondents with the surname Prestwich, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Prestwich in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (696 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Prestwich appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Hispanic (4.8%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Prestwich (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 Prestwich mean?
An English locational surname derived from the town of Prestwich near Manchester. 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 Prestwich (0.26 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 have the last name Prestwich?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Prestwich at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.