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

Procter, 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 Procter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Procter in America

Procter is the 16765th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Procter surname appeared 1,704 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Procter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Procter 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 Procter

The surname Procter is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "procuratour," which means "steward" or "manager." The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire from 1195, where it appears as "Willelmus le Procuratour."

The name is believed to have originated in the county of Warwickshire, where it was first used to refer to a person who managed or oversaw an estate or property. Over time, the name spread to other parts of England, particularly the northern counties.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a "Robert le Procutur." Additionally, the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327 list a "John le Proktour."

In the 14th century, the name began to take on its more modern spelling of "Procter." The Lay Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379 include entries for a "Thomas Procter" and a "Willelmus Procter."

The surname is also associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was William Procter (c. 1350-1418), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Chancellor of the University of Oxford.

Another prominent figure was Thomas Procter (1753-1846), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became an admiral in the Royal Navy.

In the literary world, Bryan Waller Procter (1787-1874), better known by his pen name "Barry Cornwall," was an English poet and literary critic. He was a contemporary of writers such as Charles Lamb and Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

The name is also associated with the Procter & Gamble Company, founded in 1837 by William Procter (1801-1857) and James Gamble (1803-1891). The company, which started as a small soap and candle business, grew to become one of the world's largest consumer goods corporations.

Finally, Robert George Caldwell Procter (1868-1903), known as "Barney" Procter, was a British soldier and explorer who participated in several expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic regions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Procter

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

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

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

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