2000
#5,302
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,045
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.24
Rare Last name
Probst
An occupational surname for a provost, an official who supervises or manages a group, often in a religious context.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,012 Americans carry the last name Probst. That puts it at #5,490 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,881 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Probst 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
7.0K
1 in 48,881
Census rank
#5,490
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,115 bearers of the surname Probst in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5490th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Probst, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Probst
The surname Probst originated in Germany and has its roots in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "probst," which means "provost" or "parish priest." This suggests that the name was likely associated with individuals who held ecclesiastical positions within the church hierarchy during that time period.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Probst can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, particularly in areas such as Bavaria and Saxony. It is believed that the name may have originated from a place name that included the word "probst," indicating that the name-bearer or their ancestors resided in or near a locality with a connection to a provost or church official.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Probst was Johann Probst, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1460 to 1521. He was a prominent figure during the Protestant Reformation and was known for his opposition to the Catholic Church's sale of indulgences.
Another notable individual with the surname Probst was Georg Balthasar Probst (1673-1748), a German architect and sculptor who is renowned for his work on the Würzburg Residence, a famous Baroque palace in Germany.
In the 19th century, Joseph Probst (1837-1905) was a German Catholic priest and writer who authored several works on theology and church history. He served as a professor at the University of Tübingen and made significant contributions to the study of canon law.
Moving into the 20th century, Max Probst (1924-2009) was a Swiss chemist who played a crucial role in the development of the birth control pill. His research on synthetic hormones and their effects on fertility led to the creation of one of the first oral contraceptive pills.
Finally, Janice Probst (1950-present) is an American author and academic who has written extensively on rural health and nursing. She has published numerous books and articles on topics such as health disparities in rural areas and the challenges faced by rural healthcare providers.
While the surname Probst is most commonly associated with Germany, it has spread to other regions over time due to migration and diaspora. Today, individuals bearing this surname can be found in various parts of Europe, North America, and other parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Probst
Among Census respondents with the surname Probst, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Probst 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 Probst surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 5,551
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 223
- Two or more races3.5% · 217
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 62
- Black or African American0.7% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Probst
Probst 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
#5,540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,271
+226 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 2.13
Rank movement Down 238 places
2020
#5,490
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,115
-156 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 2.05
Rank movement Up 50 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,302 | 6,045 | 2.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,540 | 6,271 | 2.13 | +226 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 238 places |
| 2020 | #5,490 | 6,115 | 2.05 | -156 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 50 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 Probst 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 | #5,540 | #5,490 | 0.9% |
| Count | 6,271 | 6,115 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.13 | 2.05 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Probst bearers went from 6,271 to 6,115 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 50 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,540 to #5,490.
FAQ
Probst surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Probst?
Name Census estimates that about 7,012 living Americans carry the surname Probst. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,881 residents.
How common is Probst?
Probst ranks #5,490 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,115 people with the surname Probst. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,012), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Probst.
Has Probst become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Probst went from 6,271 recorded bearers to 6,115. That is a decrease of 156 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,540 to #5,490.
What does the Census say about the background of Probst?
Among Census respondents with the surname Probst, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Probst in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (5,551 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Probst appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (3.6%), 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 Probst (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 Probst mean?
An occupational surname for a provost, an official who supervises or manages a group, often in a religious context. 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 Probst (2.05 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 share the surname Probst?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.