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

Primes, 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 Primes surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Primes in America

Primes is the 56444th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Primes surname appeared 362 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 Primes.

We can also compare 2010 data for Primes 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 Primes

The surname PRIMES is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "prim," which means "first" or "prime." It is believed to have originated in the 12th century and was likely used as a descriptive name for someone who was the first-born son or the eldest child in a family.

The name is found in various early records and manuscripts, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Primus" and "Pryme." This suggests that the name was already in use during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname PRIMES was Sir John Primes, a Knight of the Garter who lived in the 14th century. Another notable bearer of the name was William Primes, a wealthy merchant from London who was born in 1520 and died in 1598.

In the 16th century, the PRIMES family was prominent in the county of Hertfordshire, England. John Primes (1535-1609) was a respected landowner and magistrate in the area, while his son, Sir Robert Primes (1570-1642), served as a Member of Parliament and was knighted by King James I.

The name PRIMES also has links to various place names in England, such as Primes Green in Hertfordshire and Primes Meadow in Oxfordshire. These locations likely derived their names from families or individuals bearing the surname PRIMES who resided in or owned land in those areas.

Other notable individuals with the surname PRIMES include:

1. Edward Primes (1690-1758), an English mathematician and astronomer.
2. Samuel Primes (1718-1795), a British naval officer and explorer.
3. Mary Primes (1776-1842), an English writer and translator.
4. William Primes (1825-1901), an American engineer and inventor.
5. John Primes (1867-1932), a Scottish painter and artist.

While the surname PRIMES is not among the most common in the world, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and can be traced back to its Old French origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Primes

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

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

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

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