2000
#12,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,276
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.84
Rare Last name
Prindle
Derived from a Middle English place name meaning "a small enclosure or pinfold" for keeping stray animals.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,550 Americans carry the last name Prindle. That puts it at #13,173 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 134,413 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Prindle 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.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 134,413
Census rank
#13,173
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,224 bearers of the surname Prindle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13173rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Prindle, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Prindle
The surname Prindle is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old English words "prind" or "prynd," meaning "to burn" or "to singe," suggesting a possible association with an occupation or a physical characteristic.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Prendel" or "Prendill." This historical record provides valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of the name in various regions of England during the 11th century.
The name Prindle has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Prindell, Prendell, Prendill, and Prendal. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal errors, reflecting the fluidity of surname spellings in earlier times.
During the 13th century, records show individuals bearing the surname Prindle in the counties of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. One notable figure from this era was William Prindell, a landowner in Oxfordshire, who was documented in the Hundred Rolls of 1273.
As the name spread across England, it became associated with certain place names, such as Prendick in Northamptonshire and Prendwick in Gloucestershire. These place names may have influenced the surname's evolution and contributed to its regional variations.
In the 16th century, John Prindell (1510-1568), a merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London, gained prominence. His descendants continued to use the Prindle surname, and several of them held positions of influence in the city.
Another notable figure was Sir Roger Prindle (1624-1701), a renowned English lawyer and Member of Parliament for Taunton during the reign of Charles II. His legal expertise and political involvement contributed to the family's standing and reputation.
As the centuries progressed, the Prindle surname continued to be represented across various walks of life. In the 18th century, Edward Prindle (1722-1804), a celebrated botanist and naturalist from Gloucestershire, made significant contributions to the study of plants and their medicinal properties.
Moving into the 19th century, the Prindle surname gained international recognition with the accomplishments of Mary Prindle (1818-1892), a pioneering American educator and advocate for women's rights. Her efforts in promoting educational opportunities for women left a lasting impact on the social landscape of the time.
These are just a few examples of individuals bearing the Prindle surname who have left their mark on history. The name's roots can be traced back to medieval England, and its evolution over the centuries reflects the diverse geographical and cultural influences that have shaped its legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Prindle
Among Census respondents with the surname Prindle, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Prindle 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 Prindle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 2,020
- Two or more races3.2% · 71
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 62
- Black or African American2.0% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Prindle
Prindle 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
#13,230
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,309
+33 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 735 places
2020
#13,173
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,224
-85 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 57 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,495 | 2,276 | 0.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,230 | 2,309 | 0.78 | +33 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 735 places |
| 2020 | #13,173 | 2,224 | 0.74 | -85 bearers (-3.7%) | Up 57 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 Prindle 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 | #13,230 | #13,173 | 0.4% |
| Count | 2,309 | 2,224 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.74 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Prindle bearers went from 2,309 to 2,224 (-3.7% change). The surname moved up 57 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,230 to #13,173.
FAQ
Prindle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Prindle?
Name Census estimates that about 2,550 living Americans carry the surname Prindle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 134,413 residents.
How common is Prindle?
Prindle ranks #13,173 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 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 2,224 people with the surname Prindle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,550), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 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 Prindle.
Has Prindle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Prindle went from 2,309 recorded bearers to 2,224. That is a decrease of 85 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,230 to #13,173.
What does the Census say about the background of Prindle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Prindle, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Prindle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (2,020 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Prindle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Prindle (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 Prindle mean?
Derived from a Middle English place name meaning "a small enclosure or pinfold" for keeping stray animals. 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 Prindle (0.74 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 Prindle?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.