2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Proeschel
A surname of German origin, possibly derived from a location or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Proeschel. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Proeschel 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Proeschel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Proeschel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Proeschel
The surname Proeschel is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the late 16th century in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "brosche," which means "brooches" or "ornamental clasps," likely referring to an ancestor's occupation as a jeweler or metalsmith.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Proeschel can be found in the parish records of the town of Erlangen, located in the Franconian region of Bavaria, dating back to 1587. These records mention a certain Hans Proeschel, who was listed as a goldsmith.
In the 17th century, the Proeschel family appears to have spread across various parts of Germany, with records showing individuals bearing the name in cities such as Dresden, Leipzig, and Berlin. During this period, variations in spelling, such as Pröschel, Prößchel, and Pröschler, were common.
Historical documents from the 18th century reveal that the Proeschel name was associated with several notable figures. One such individual was Johann Gottlieb Proeschel (1733-1804), a renowned theologian and author who served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg.
Another prominent bearer of the Proeschel surname was Carl Friedrich Proeschel (1786-1860), a German banker and industrialist who played a significant role in the development of the textile industry in Saxony. He established several factories and was instrumental in introducing mechanized weaving to the region.
In the 19th century, the Proeschel name gained further recognition with the birth of Friedrich Wilhelm Proeschel (1820-1898), a German architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Reichsbank and the Prinz-Albrecht-Palais.
One of the most renowned individuals with the Proeschel surname was the German composer and music theorist Hermann Proeschel (1872-1937), whose works contributed significantly to the development of atonal and experimental music in the early 20th century.
Another notable figure was the German physicist and philosopher Wilhelm Proeschel (1892-1964), who made significant contributions to the understanding of quantum mechanics and the interpretation of scientific theories.
While the Proeschel surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and cultural exchanges. However, the rich history and cultural significance of this name remain closely tied to its German origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Proeschel
Among Census respondents with the surname Proeschel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Proeschel 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 Proeschel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 94
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.0% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 2
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Proeschel
Proeschel appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,552 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 1,552 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 Proeschel 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 | #157,234 | #155,682 | 1.0% |
| Count | 103 | 100 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Proeschel bearers went from 103 to 100 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 1,552 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #155,682.
FAQ
Proeschel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Proeschel?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Proeschel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Proeschel?
Proeschel ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Proeschel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Proeschel.
Has Proeschel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Proeschel went from 103 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Proeschel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Proeschel, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%). 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 Proeschel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Proeschel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.0%). 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 Proeschel (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 Proeschel mean?
A surname of German origin, possibly derived from a location or occupation. 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 Proeschel (0.03 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 common is the surname Proeschel?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Proeschel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.