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

Proby, 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 Proby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Proby in America

Proby is the 40371st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Proby surname appeared 542 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 Proby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Proby 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 Proby

The surname Proby is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "proby," which means "well-approved" or "honorable." The name first appeared in the 12th century in the county of Lincolnshire, England.

Lincolnshire was a region with a strong Norman influence, and the name Proby likely originated among the Norman settlers who arrived after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name may have been bestowed upon someone who was considered a person of good reputation or upright character.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Proby can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1195, where a certain Robert Proby is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 12th century.

In the 13th century, the name Proby is found in various records, including the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire from 1272, where a William Proby is mentioned. This indicates that the name had spread beyond its original stronghold in Lincolnshire.

During the medieval period, the name Proby was often spelled in different ways, such as Probey, Prowby, and Proubee, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common at the time.

One notable figure from history who bore the surname Proby was Sir Thomas Proby (1504-1572), a wealthy landowner and sheriff of Lincolnshire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was also a member of the House of Commons, representing Lincolnshire in the Parliament of 1547.

Another prominent Proby was Sir Heneage Proby (1678-1767), a British politician and courtier who served as the Member of Parliament for Stamford and later as the Privy Counsellor to King George II.

John Proby (1554-1619), born in Huntingdonshire, was an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Dean of Lichfield and the Rector of Kingsclere in Hampshire.

In the 18th century, William Allen Proby (1779-1804) was a British naval officer who distinguished himself during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, serving under Lord Nelson at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801.

Lastly, Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville (1815-1891), whose maternal grandmother was Lady Harriet Proby, was a prominent British statesman and politician who served as the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the President of the Privy Council.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Proby

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

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

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

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