2000
#12,490
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,278
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.84
Rare Last name
Primus
Of Latin origin, meaning "first" or "foremost," likely referring to the firstborn child or a person of high rank.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,822 Americans carry the last name Primus. That puts it at #12,093 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 121,458 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Primus 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 Primus with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 121,458
Census rank
#12,093
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,461 bearers of the surname Primus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12093rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Primus, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.5%. The next largest groups are White (34.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Primus
The surname Primus has its origins in the Latin word 'primus', which means 'first' or 'most important'. This name is believed to have originated in ancient Rome, where it was likely used as a cognomen or nickname for someone who was considered the first or most prominent in their family or community.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Primus can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when it appeared in various medieval records and documents across Europe. One notable example is the Domesday Book, a manuscript compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror, which listed several individuals with the surname Primus in various parts of England.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Primus was particularly prevalent in Italy, where it was often associated with noble families or individuals of high social standing. One prominent figure from this period was Marcus Primus, a Roman senator and military commander who lived in the 1st century AD and played a crucial role in the Batavian revolt against Roman rule.
As the name spread throughout Europe, it underwent various spelling variations and adaptations to local languages. In France, for instance, the surname was often spelled as Primeaux or Primault, while in Germany and the Low Countries, it appeared as Primm or Primmer.
Among the notable individuals who bore the surname Primus throughout history are:
1. Jacob Primus (c. 1460-1528), a German humanist and scholar who taught at the University of Heidelberg.
2. Jacobus Primus (1600-1677), a Dutch painter and engraver known for his landscape and architectural works.
3. Johannes Primus (1637-1700), a German composer and organist active in the Baroque era.
4. Marcus Primus (fl. 69-70 AD), the Roman senator and military commander mentioned earlier.
5. Petrus Primus (c. 1540-1603), a Flemish mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
Over time, the surname Primus has spread to various parts of the world, with descendants bearing this name found in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and beyond. While its origins can be traced back to ancient Rome, the name Primus has left an indelible mark on history, reflecting the prominence and significance associated with those who bore it.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Primus
Among Census respondents with the surname Primus, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.5%. The next largest groups are White (34.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Primus 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 Primus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American56.5% · 1,391
- White34.8% · 856
- Two or more races4.5% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 83
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Primus
Primus 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
#11,960
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,613
+335 bearers (+14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Up 530 places
2020
#12,093
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,461
-152 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 133 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,490 | 2,278 | 0.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,960 | 2,613 | 0.89 | +335 bearers (+14.7%) | Up 530 places |
| 2020 | #12,093 | 2,461 | 0.82 | -152 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 133 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 Primus 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 | #11,960 | #12,093 | -1.1% |
| Count | 2,613 | 2,461 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.89 | 0.82 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Primus bearers went from 2,613 to 2,461 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 133 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,960 to #12,093.
FAQ
Primus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Primus?
Name Census estimates that about 2,822 living Americans carry the surname Primus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 121,458 residents.
How common is Primus?
Primus ranks #12,093 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.82 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 2,461 people with the surname Primus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,822), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.82 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 Primus.
Has Primus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Primus went from 2,613 recorded bearers to 2,461. That is a decrease of 152 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,960 to #12,093.
What does the Census say about the background of Primus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Primus, the largest self-reported group is Black at 56.5%. The next largest groups are White (34.8%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Primus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.5% (1,391 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Primus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (56.5%), White (34.8%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Primus (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 Primus mean?
Of Latin origin, meaning "first" or "foremost," likely referring to the firstborn child or a person of high rank. 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 Primus (0.82 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 many people have the surname Primus?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.