2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Prinston
A locational surname referring to someone from the English town of Prinston.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Prinston. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Prinston 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Prinston in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Prinston, the largest self-reported group is Black at 84.3%. The next largest groups are White (10.4%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Prinston
The surname PRINSTON has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "prynn" meaning "thorn bush" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement," suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a thorn bush enclosure or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a certain Robert de Prynstun is mentioned as a landowner in Oxfordshire. This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during that period, as they were often adapted based on local dialects and pronunciations.
The PRINSTON name appears to have been predominantly concentrated in the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Berkshire, regions known for their agricultural heritage and rural settlements. This geographical link lends credence to the proposed meaning of the name being associated with a location or settlement.
In the 14th century, the PRINSTON name gained prominence with the birth of William PRINSTON (1320-1387), a prominent cleric and scholar who served as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford. His accomplishments and social standing likely contributed to the further dissemination and recognition of the surname.
Another notable figure was Sir John PRINSTON (1452-1521), a knight and landowner from Oxfordshire, who played a pivotal role in the Wars of the Roses, supporting the Yorkist cause. His military exploits and allegiance to the House of York solidified the PRINSTON name's association with the English nobility.
During the Tudor period, the PRINSTON family continued to hold influential positions, with Thomas PRINSTON (1508-1572) serving as a Member of Parliament and Justice of the Peace in Buckinghamshire. His political and judicial roles highlight the family's enduring presence among the gentry and governing classes.
The PRINSTON name also found its way into literary circles, with the poet and writer Elizabeth PRINSTON (1672-1733) gaining recognition for her works, which explored themes of love, nature, and spirituality. Her contributions to the cultural landscape of the time further cemented the name's significance.
As the centuries progressed, the PRINSTON surname continued to be associated with notable individuals across various fields, including academia, politics, and the arts, solidifying its place in the annals of English history and leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and social fabric of the nation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Prinston
Among Census respondents with the surname Prinston, the largest self-reported group is Black at 84.3%. The next largest groups are White (10.4%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Prinston 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 Prinston surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American84.3% · 97
- White10.4% · 12
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Prinston
Prinston appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+12 bearers (+11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,477 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.7%) | Up 11,477 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 Prinston 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 | #157,234 | #145,757 | 7.3% |
| Count | 103 | 115 | 11.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 28.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Prinston bearers went from 103 to 115 (+11.7% change). The surname moved up 11,477 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #145,757.
FAQ
Prinston surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Prinston?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Prinston. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Prinston?
Prinston ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Prinston. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Prinston.
Has Prinston become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Prinston went from 103 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 12 (+11.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Prinston?
Among Census respondents with the surname Prinston, the largest self-reported group is Black at 84.3%. The next largest groups are White (10.4%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Prinston in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.3% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Prinston appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (84.3%), White (10.4%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Prinston (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 Prinston mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from the English town of Prinston. 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 Prinston (0.04 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 common is the surname Prinston?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Prinston? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.