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

Prime, 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 Prime surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Prime in America

Prime is the 18511th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Prime surname appeared 1,491 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 Prime.

We can also compare 2010 data for Prime 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 Prime

The Prime surname is of English origin, emerging in the late 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "prim," meaning first or foremost. The name likely denoted someone who was considered preeminent or held a position of authority in their community.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Prime surname appears in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire, a census-like record from 1273, where a William Prime is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I.

The Prime surname is also found in the Inquisitiones Post Mortem, a series of inquiries conducted after the death of landholders to determine what lands should be returned to the crown. In a document from 1350, a John Prime is listed as holding lands in Hertfordshire.

In the 15th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as Pryme and Pryme, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling during that era. One notable example is Thomas Pryme (1452-1521), a merchant and alderman in the city of York.

The Prime surname has been associated with several prominent individuals throughout history. Sir Samuel Prime (1579-1644) was an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament and played a role in the English Civil War. John Prime (1717-1781) was a British naval officer and explorer who charted parts of the Canadian Arctic.

Another notable figure was William Cowper Prime (1825-1905), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the investment banking firm Prime, Ward & King. He was also a supporter of educational institutions, including Princeton University.

In the literary world, William Cowper Prime's grandson, William C. Prime (1854-1924), was a noted American author and editor who wrote extensively on nature and outdoor life. His works include "Along New England Roads" and "Among the Huguenots."

Additionally, Charles Prime (1825-1915) was a British clergyman and scholar who served as the Principal of Codrington College in Barbados and later became the Regius Professor of Hebrew at the University of Oxford.

Throughout its history, the Prime surname has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who have borne this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Prime

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

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

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

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