Proehl
A variant spelling of the German surname Proehle, derived from a nickname for a squire or bailiff.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 891 Americans carry the last name Proehl. That puts it at #30,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 384,685 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Proehl surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
891
1 in 384,685
Census rank
#30,339
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
771
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 771 bearers of the surname Proehl in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 30339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Proehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Proehl
The surname Proehl originated in the German region of Prussia in the 16th century. It is derived from the Old German word "prohl," which means "boastful" or "arrogant." The name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone with a boastful or arrogant demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Proehl can be found in the parish records of the town of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland) in the late 1500s. The name is also found in various historical documents and records from the region of East Prussia during this time period.
In the 17th century, the Proehl name appears in the records of the town of Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia), which was a major city in East Prussia. One notable individual with this surname was Johann Proehl, a merchant and landowner who lived in Königsberg in the late 1600s.
As the Proehl family spread throughout Prussia and other parts of Germany over the centuries, various spelling variations emerged, such as Prohl, Proehl, and Proehle. Some of these variations may have been influenced by regional dialects or changes in spelling conventions over time.
In the 19th century, a branch of the Proehl family settled in the town of Tilsit (now Sovetsk, Russia), which was also located in East Prussia. One famous individual from this branch was Hermann Proehl (1820-1891), a German writer and journalist who was known for his works on the history and culture of East Prussia.
Another notable person with the surname Proehl was Karl Proehl (1875-1949), a German architect and urban planner who was born in Danzig. He is best known for his work in the design and development of the city of Frankfurt am Main in the early 20th century.
While the Proehl name originated in Prussia and was primarily concentrated in the German regions of East Prussia and Pomerania, over time it has spread to other parts of Germany and beyond, as families migrated and settled in new areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Proehl
Among Census respondents with the surname Proehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Proehl bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Proehl surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9%
- Two or more races2.5%
- Hispanic or Latino1.6%
- Unknown or suppressed1.0%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Proehl surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #28,522 | #30,339 | -6.4% |
| Count | 787 | 771 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.29 | 0.26 | -10.3% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Proehl bearers went from 787 to 771 (-2.0% change). The surname moved down 1,817 positions in the national ranking, going from #28,522 to #30,339.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Proehl
FAQ
Proehl surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Proehl?
The surname Proehl holds position #30,339 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 891 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.26 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Proehl surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Proehl, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (1.6%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.