2000
#18,499
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,377
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.51
Rare Last name
Prime
A surname derived from the descriptive term "prime" meaning excellent or first-rate.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,807 Americans carry the last name Prime. That puts it at #17,524 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 189,681 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Prime surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Prime with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.8K
1 in 189,681
Census rank
#17,524
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,576 bearers of the surname Prime in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17524th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Prime, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.1%. The next largest groups are Black (25.1%) and Hispanic (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Prime
Among Census respondents with the surname Prime, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.1%. The next largest groups are Black (25.1%) and Hispanic (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Prime bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Prime surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.1% · 1,026
- Black or African American25.1% · 395
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 88
- Two or more races3.2% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Prime
Prime appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#18,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,491
+114 bearers (+8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.51
Rank movement Down 12 places
2020
#17,524
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,576
+85 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.53
Rank movement Up 987 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,499 | 1,377 | 0.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,511 | 1,491 | 0.51 | +114 bearers (+8.3%) | Down 12 places |
| 2020 | #17,524 | 1,576 | 0.53 | +85 bearers (+5.7%) | Up 987 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Prime surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #18,511 | #17,524 | 5.3% |
| Count | 1,491 | 1,576 | 5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.51 | 0.53 | 3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Prime bearers went from 1,491 to 1,576 (+5.7% change). The surname moved up 987 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,511 to #17,524.
FAQ
Prime surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Prime?
Name Census estimates that about 1,807 living Americans carry the surname Prime. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 189,681 residents.
How common is Prime?
Prime ranks #17,524 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.53 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,576 people with the surname Prime. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,807), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.53 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Prime.
Has Prime become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Prime went from 1,491 recorded bearers to 1,576. That is an increase of 85 (+5.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,511 to #17,524.
What does the Census say about the background of Prime?
Among Census respondents with the surname Prime, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.1%. The next largest groups are Black (25.1%) and Hispanic (5.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Prime in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.1% (1,026 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Prime appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.1%), Black (25.1%), Hispanic (5.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Prime (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Prime mean?
A surname derived from the descriptive term "prime" meaning excellent or first-rate. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Prime (0.53 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Prime?
Find out how common the surname Prime is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.