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

Priar, 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 Priar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Priar in America

Priar is the 118185th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Priar surname appeared 147 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 Priar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Priar 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 Priar

The surname PRIAR originated in England during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "priour," which means "prior" or the head of a monastery or religious order. This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been individuals associated with monasteries or abbeys, potentially serving as priors or other senior religious officials.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the PRIAR surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated around 1170, where it appears as "Robertus Priour." This entry indicates that the name was already in use by the late 12th century and provides evidence of its early English origins.

The PRIAR surname is also mentioned in the Cartulary of Whalley Abbey, a medieval manuscript from Lancashire, dating back to the 13th century. This document contains records of land transactions and other legal matters involving individuals with the PRIAR surname, further solidifying its presence in the region during that time period.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the PRIAR surname was John Priar, a prominent landowner and merchant from the town of Coventry. He is mentioned in several historical records from that era, including the Coventry Leet Book, which documents his involvement in local governance and trade activities.

Another historical figure of note was William Priar, who lived in the late 15th century and served as the Prior of the Benedictine monastery in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. His name appears in the monastery's records and chronicles, highlighting the continued association of the PRIAR surname with religious institutions.

During the 16th century, the PRIAR surname can be found in various parish records and legal documents across England. One notable individual was Thomas Priar, a wealthy merchant from Bristol, who was mentioned in the city's trade records and played a significant role in the local mercantile community.

Over the centuries, the PRIAR surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Pryor, Prier, and Prier, reflecting the evolution of English language and regional dialects. Additionally, the surname has been linked to several place names, such as Priors Marston in Warwickshire and Priors Dean in Gloucestershire, further reinforcing its connection to monastic settlements and religious institutions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Priar

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

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

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

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