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

Pries, 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 Pries surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pries in America

Pries is the 23283rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pries surname appeared 1,094 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 Pries.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pries 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 Pries

The surname PRIES has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the German word "Priester," meaning "priest" or "clergyman." The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who worked in the clergy or had a close association with the church.

In the early days, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as Priess, Prieß, or Pries. These variations were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name PRIES can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, Germany, dating back to the 13th century. The name appears in reference to a clergyman named Johannes Pries, who was a witness to a land transaction in 1244.

During the Middle Ages, the PRIES name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Saxony and Bavaria. Many villages and towns in these areas had churches and monasteries, which likely contributed to the popularity of the name among those associated with the clergy.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the surname PRIES was Johann Pries (1512-1568), a German Lutheran theologian and reformer. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.

Another prominent individual with this surname was Friedrich Pries (1698-1758), a German botanist and naturalist. He made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in his native region of Saxony.

In the 19th century, the PRIES name gained recognition with the birth of Johann Wilhelm Pries (1806-1878), a German philosopher and educator. He was a proponent of the idealist philosophical movement and authored several influential works on ethics and education.

Another notable figure was Karl Pries (1887-1968), a German architect and urban planner. He was instrumental in the reconstruction and redesign of several cities in Germany after World War II, including the city of Frankfurt.

Throughout history, the surname PRIES has been associated with various place names, such as Priessac in France and Prieslitz in Germany, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the name in different regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pries

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

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

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

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