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

Pringle, 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 Pringle surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pringle in America

Pringle is the 2750th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pringle surname appeared 13,115 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Pringle.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pringle 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 Pringle

The surname PRINGLE originated in Scotland during the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word 'pringel', meaning a small enclosure or a valley, and the Scottish place name Pringilhaugh, located near Eddleston in Peeblesshire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name PRINGLE dates back to 1159, when Robert de Pringill witnessed a charter by King Malcolm IV. Another early reference can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which list a Henry de Pringgill from Roxburghshire.

The PRINGLE family is believed to have originated from the lands of Pringilhaugh, which they held as vassals of the Earls of Dunbar. In the 14th century, Robert Pringle of Pilmuir is mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, and later records show the Pringles as landowners in various parts of the Scottish Borders.

Among notable historical figures bearing the PRINGLE surname are Sir Robert Pringle (1690-1736), a Scottish lawyer and Member of Parliament, and Sir John Pringle (1707-1782), a renowned Scottish physician and President of the Royal Society.

Other prominent individuals with the PRINGLE surname include:

1. Thomas Pringle (1789-1834), a Scottish writer and abolitionist who settled in South Africa.
2. James Pringle (1769-1805), a Scottish naval officer who served during the French Revolutionary Wars.
3. Andrew Pringle (1772-1857), a Scottish soldier and Lieutenant-Governor of the British Windward Islands.
4. Walter Pringle (1888-1971), a Scottish professional golfer who won the Open Championship in 1914.
5. John Pringle (1857-1925), a Scottish-born Australian politician and Premier of Western Australia.

The PRINGLE name has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Pringle Bank, Pringle Cottage, and Pringle's Bush, reflecting the family's historical ties to the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pringle

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

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

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

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