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

Priester, 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 Priester surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Priester in America

Priester is the 8377th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Priester surname appeared 3,951 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Priester.

We can also compare 2010 data for Priester 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 Priester

The surname Priester originated in Germany and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is an occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "priester," which means "priest." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been individuals who served in religious orders or had close ties to the clergy.

Priester is a variant spelling of the German word "Priester," which is itself derived from the Latin word "presbyter," meaning "elder." In medieval times, the term "presbyter" was commonly used to refer to Christian priests or clergymen who held positions of authority within the church.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Priester can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the German state of Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. This suggests that the name was in use among German-speaking populations during this period.

In the 14th century, a notable individual named Johannes Priester was mentioned in the records of the city of Cologne, Germany. He was a respected cleric and scholar who played a significant role in the intellectual and religious life of the city during that time.

Another early bearer of the Priester surname was Hans Priester, a merchant and influential citizen of Nuremberg, Germany, who lived in the late 15th century. His legacy is preserved through various historical records and documents from that era.

During the 16th century, a German cartographer and mathematician named Kaspar Priester gained recognition for his contributions to the field of mapmaking. Born in 1537 and died in 1603, he is known for creating detailed maps of various regions in Europe, which were widely used in his time.

In the 17th century, a prominent figure named Johann Priester emerged as a respected theologian and philosopher. Born in 1621 and died in 1675, he authored several influential works on religious and philosophical topics, which were widely read and studied during the Enlightenment period.

Another notable individual with the surname Priester was Friedrich Priester, a German composer and musician who lived in the 18th century. Born in 1726 and died in 1801, he composed a significant body of orchestral and chamber music, which was performed in various courts and concert halls across Europe during his lifetime.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Priester

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

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

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

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