2000
#19,931
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,247
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.46
Rare Last name
Probert
One meaning of the surname PROBERT is an English occupational name for a prober or inspector.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,320 Americans carry the last name Probert. That puts it at #22,840 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 259,662 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Probert 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Probert with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.3K
1 in 259,662
Census rank
#22,840
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,151 bearers of the surname Probert in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22840th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Probert, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Probert
The surname Probert has its origins in Wales, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Welsh personal name "Robert," which in turn comes from the Germanic elements "hrod" (fame) and "berht" (bright). The name is thought to have first emerged in the border regions of Wales and England, where cultural and linguistic influences intermingled.
One of the earliest known references to the Probert surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Proberta." This record suggests that the name had already taken root in England by the late 11th century, likely through Norman influence or Welsh migration.
In the 13th century, records from Pembrokeshire, Wales, mention a "William Probert" as a landowner and influential figure in the region. This early usage of the surname indicates its establishment within Welsh communities during the Middle Ages.
The Probert name has also been linked to various place names and their older spellings, such as "Proberta" in Gloucestershire, England, and "Prober" in Monmouthshire, Wales. These connections hint at the surname's geographical origins and potential migration patterns.
Notable individuals with the Probert surname throughout history include:
1. John Probert (c. 1520 - c. 1585), a Welsh Member of Parliament and lawyer during the Tudor period.
2. William Probert (1628 - 1684), a Welsh clergyman and author of religious works in the 17th century.
3. Edward Probert (1786 - 1853), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a colonial administrator in Australia.
4. Henry Probert (1857 - 1935), a Welsh-born Australian politician and trade unionist, active in the early 20th century labor movement.
5. Kevin Probert (born 1959), a former professional ice hockey player from Canada, known for his physical style of play in the National Hockey League.
The Probert surname has endured over centuries, reflecting the rich cultural heritage of Wales and the migration patterns that have dispersed this name across various regions and continents. Its longevity and association with notable figures underscore the significance of understanding the historical roots and evolution of surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Probert
Among Census respondents with the surname Probert, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Probert 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 Probert surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 1,072
- Two or more races2.8% · 32
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 9
- Black or African American0.4% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Probert
Probert appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#22,216
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,161
-86 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Down 2,285 places
2020
#22,840
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,151
-10 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Down 624 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,931 | 1,247 | 0.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,216 | 1,161 | 0.39 | -86 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 2,285 places |
| 2020 | #22,840 | 1,151 | 0.39 | -10 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 624 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 Probert 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 | #22,216 | #22,840 | -2.8% |
| Count | 1,161 | 1,151 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.39 | 0.39 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Probert bearers went from 1,161 to 1,151 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 624 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,216 to #22,840.
FAQ
Probert surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Probert?
Name Census estimates that about 1,320 living Americans carry the surname Probert. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 259,662 residents.
How common is Probert?
Probert ranks #22,840 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.39 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 1,151 people with the surname Probert. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,320), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.39 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 Probert.
Has Probert become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Probert went from 1,161 recorded bearers to 1,151. That is a decrease of 10 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #22,216 to #22,840.
What does the Census say about the background of Probert?
Among Census respondents with the surname Probert, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.1%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Probert in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (1,072 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Probert appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Hispanic (2.1%). 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 Probert (2000, 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 Probert mean?
One meaning of the surname PROBERT is an English occupational name for a prober or inspector. 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 Probert (0.39 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 many people have the surname Probert?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.