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

Pritchard, 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 Pritchard surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pritchard in America

Pritchard is the 1523rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pritchard surname appeared 23,549 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Pritchard.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pritchard 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 Pritchard

The surname Pritchard originates from Wales, derived from the Welsh personal name Rhirid, a combination of the elements rhi, meaning "ardor" or "enthusiasm," and rid, meaning "something that goes." It was initially an occupational surname for a person who guided travelers through difficult terrain.

The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the late 12th century. It appears in the 1292 Minister's Accounts for Pembrokeshire, where a John Prithchard is mentioned. The name is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, recorded as Pritchard.

In the 13th century, the name was spelled in various ways, including Prytchard, Pricherd, and Pricchard. These variations reflect the difficulties in transliterating Welsh names into English at the time.

The surname Pritchard has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded was Sir William Pritchard (c. 1260-1324), a Welsh soldier and landowner who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence.

Sir Evan Pritchard (c. 1480-1551) was a Welsh judge and Member of Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. He served as a justice of the King's Bench and was known for his legal expertise.

Edward Pritchard (1648-1705) was an English politician and author who wrote several works on theology and politics during the late 17th century.

Benjamin Pritchard (1719-1781) was a British horticulturist and botanist who made significant contributions to the study of plant physiology and was a pioneer in the field of photosynthesis research.

Sir John Pritchard (1899-1992) was a renowned British conductor and music director. He led several major orchestras, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and was celebrated for his interpretations of works by composers like Elgar and Vaughan Williams.

The surname Pritchard has also been associated with several place names in Wales, such as Pritchard's Pill, a small village near Newport, and Pritchard's Farm, a historic farmstead in Monmouthshire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pritchard

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

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

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

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