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

Prichard, 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 Prichard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Prichard in America

Prichard is the 5438th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Prichard surname appeared 6,400 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Prichard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Prichard 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 Prichard

The surname Prichard originated in Wales during the early Middle Ages. It is derived from the Welsh personal name Rhisiart, which is a variation of the name Richard. The name Richard is derived from the Germanic elements ric, meaning "power" or "ruler," and hart, meaning "hardy" or "brave."

The surname Prichard first appeared in the records of Merionethshire, a county in northern Wales. It was initially spelled as Prytherch or Pritchard, reflecting the Welsh pronunciation of the name. Some variations include Prichart, Prichett, and Pritchett.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Richard in Shropshire, England. This suggests that the name had already become established in the region by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, a prominent figure named Rhys Prichard was a Welsh prince and Lord of Penllyn. He played a significant role in the conflicts between the Welsh rulers and the English crown during the reign of King Edward I.

Another notable individual with this surname was Sir William Prichard (c. 1480-1542), a Welsh landowner and Member of Parliament for Anglesey during the reign of King Henry VIII. He was also a supporter of the Protestant Reformation in Wales.

In the 17th century, a Welsh clergyman named Rhys Prichard (1579-1644) was known for his translation of the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh. He also served as the Vicar of Llandovery and was a leading figure in the Welsh literary renaissance.

Thomas Prichard (1768-1836) was a Welsh physician and writer who made significant contributions to the field of medicine. He published several works on nervous disorders and mental health, and his work influenced the development of modern psychiatry.

Another notable bearer of this surname was James Cowles Prichard (1786-1848), an English physician, anthropologist, and ethnologist. He is considered one of the pioneers of modern anthropology and is best known for his work on the origins and distribution of human races.

These examples illustrate the long history and diverse backgrounds of individuals bearing the surname Prichard, which has its roots in the Welsh language and culture but has also been embraced by people of various nationalities and professions over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Prichard

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

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

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

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