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

Prine, 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 Prine surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Prine in America

Prine is the 8679th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Prine surname appeared 3,786 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 Prine.

We can also compare 2010 data for Prine 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 Prine

The surname PRINE is of English origin, with roots dating back to the medieval era. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "pryne," meaning a thorn or thornbush. This name likely originated as a descriptive surname, referring to someone who lived near a thorny bush or who worked with thorns.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name PRINE can be found in the Worcestershire Subsidy Rolls of 1327, where it appears as "Pryne." This suggests that the name was already established in the West Midlands region of England by the 14th century.

The name PRINE has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Preen in Shropshire and Pridden in Herefordshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname over time.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct mentions of the surname PRINE. However, the book does include references to places with similar names, such as "Prendun" and "Prenhull," which could be related to the origin of the PRINE surname.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname PRINE was John Pryne, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1380. Another notable bearer of the name was Richard Prine, born in 1560 in Warwickshire, who was a renowned herbalist and botanist.

In the 17th century, the PRINE surname gained prominence with the birth of John Prine (1639-1719), an English philosopher and theologian who wrote extensively on the concept of free will. His works, such as "An Essay on the Freedom of Will in God and Creatures," were widely influential during his time.

Another individual of note was William Prine (1720-1788), a British explorer and navigator who sailed the Pacific Ocean and documented his travels in the book "A Voyage to the South Seas." His accounts provided valuable insights into the cultures and landscapes of the regions he visited.

In the 19th century, the PRINE surname gained literary recognition with the poet and novelist Mary Prine (1835-1901), whose works often explored themes of nature and rural life. Her collection of poems, "Songs of the Countryside," was widely acclaimed during the Victorian era.

Finally, one cannot overlook the contributions of John Prine (1946-2020), an American singer-songwriter and folk musician. His poetic and often humorous lyrics, combined with his distinctive voice, made him a beloved figure in the folk and Americana music scenes. Songs like "Angel from Montgomery" and "Paradise" became classics, earning him numerous accolades, including induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Prine

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!