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

Pritzker, 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 Pritzker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pritzker in America

Pritzker is the 70645th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pritzker surname appeared 277 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Pritzker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pritzker 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 Pritzker

The surname Pritzker has its origins in the German language and is believed to have emerged in the region of Prussia during the late 16th or early 17th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Pritzker," which was a term used to describe a skilled craftsman or artisan, particularly one who worked with wood.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Pritzker name can be found in the church records of the town of Königsberg, now known as Kaliningrad, Russia. In the year 1612, a record mentions a "Hans Pritzker" who was a carpenter by trade. This entry provides an early glimpse into the occupation and geographic location associated with the Pritzker surname.

Over the centuries, the name Pritzker has been documented in various historical documents and records throughout Germany and neighboring regions. For instance, in the 1700s, there are references to a family of Pritzkers residing in the town of Memel, which was then part of East Prussia and is now known as Klaipeda, Lithuania.

One notable figure bearing the Pritzker surname was Carl Pritzker, a German philosopher and academic who lived from 1821 to 1892. He taught at the University of Leipzig and published several works exploring the intersection of philosophy and psychology.

Another Pritzker of historical significance was Heinrich Pritzker (1832-1914), a Prussian military officer who served in the Prussian Army during the 19th century. He achieved the rank of Major General and was decorated for his service in various conflicts, including the Franco-Prussian War.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several members of the Pritzker family emigrated from Germany to the United States, establishing themselves in various parts of the country. One such individual was Jacob Pritzker (1854-1928), who settled in Chicago and worked as a tailor. His descendants would go on to establish the Pritzker family business empire, which included interests in hotels, real estate, and manufacturing.

While the Pritzker name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, where it has become associated with notable figures such as Jay Pritzker (1922-1999), an American entrepreneur and philanthropist who co-founded the Hyatt Hotel chain, and his cousin Nicholas Pritzker (1933-2022), a businessman and philanthropist who served as the chairman and CEO of the Hyatt Corporation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pritzker

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

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

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

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