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

Proffitt, 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 Proffitt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Proffitt in America

Proffitt is the 3847th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Proffitt surname appeared 9,202 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Proffitt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Proffitt 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 Proffitt

The surname Proffitt has its origins in medieval England, derived from the Old French word "profit," which means "benefit" or "advantage." This surname likely emerged during the early 13th century and was initially used as an occupational name for someone who worked as a clerk or scribe, handling financial records or legal documents.

In its earliest form, the name was often spelled as "Profit" or "Proffit." One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire from 1273, which mentions a man named William Profit. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, where it is spelled as "Profyt."

During the 14th and 15th centuries, the surname spread across various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Somerset. In the Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334, a Richard Profyt is listed in Yorkshire, while the Pipe Rolls of Somerset from 1395 mention a Thomas Profyt.

As the name evolved over time, various spellings emerged, including Proffitt, Proffit, and Proffet. One notable bearer of this surname was Sir John Proffitt (c. 1520-1585), a prominent lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

In the 17th century, the surname Proffitt began to appear in records in the American colonies. One of the earliest documented instances is William Proffitt, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. Another early settler was John Proffitt, who was granted land in Henrico County, Virginia, in 1679.

Other notable individuals with the surname Proffitt include:

1. Amariah Proffitt (1789-1869), an American politician and businessman from Tennessee.
2. William Proffitt (1802-1878), a pioneer and early settler in the Great Smoky Mountains region of Tennessee.
3. John Proffitt (1821-1905), a Union Army veteran who fought in the American Civil War.
4. William Theophilus Proffitt (1849-1933), an American Baptist minister and educator from Virginia.
5. Maude Proffitt (1892-1959), an American country music singer and songwriter from Tennessee.

While the surname Proffitt has its roots in medieval England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, carried by descendants of early English settlers and immigrants.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Proffitt

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

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

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

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