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

Prokay, 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 Prokay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Prokay in America

Prokay is the 124548th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Prokay surname appeared 138 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 Prokay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Prokay 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 Prokay

The surname Prokay has its origins in the Czech Republic, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old Czech word "prokev," which means "trough" or "gutter." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a trough or worked as a trough maker.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Prokay can be found in a document from the town of Brno in the year 1287, where a man named Prokop Prokay was listed as a landowner. This suggests that the name had already gained some prominence by that time.

In the 14th century, the name appears in various records from the towns of Olomouc and Ostrava, indicating its spread across the region. A notable figure bearing the name was Jan Prokay, a merchant from Ostrava who was involved in trade with Poland and Germany.

During the 15th century, the Prokay family established itself in the town of Kutná Hora, where they became involved in the mining industry. One of the most prominent members was Václav Prokay, born in 1432, who served as the chief engineer for the town's silver mines.

The 16th century saw the name spread further, with records showing Prokays in the cities of Prague and Plzeň. In 1567, a man named Jakub Prokay was appointed as the royal architect for the court of Emperor Rudolf II, overseeing the construction of several notable buildings in Prague.

As the Prokay family continued to grow and disperse throughout the Czech lands, the name underwent various spellings, such as Prokaj, Prokej, and Prokey. One notable figure from this period was Jiří Prokay (1621-1689), a renowned composer and organist who served at the Church of St. Vitus in Prague.

Over the centuries, the Prokay name has been associated with various professions, including artisans, merchants, miners, and members of the clergy. While not as widespread as some other Czech surnames, it continues to be a recognizable name in the region, with a rich history spanning over seven centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Prokay

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!