2000
#118,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Prokay
A variant spelling of the surname Prokop, derived from a Slavic name meaning "to pierce" or "to breach".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Prokay. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Prokay 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Prokay in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Prokay, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Black (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Prokay
Among Census respondents with the surname Prokay, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Black (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Prokay 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 Prokay surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 106
- Black or African American3.5% · 4
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Prokay
Prokay appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#124,548
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
+3 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 5,594 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-23 bearers (-16.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,209 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,954 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #124,548 | 138 | 0.05 | +3 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 5,594 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -23 bearers (-16.7%) | Down 21,209 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 Prokay 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 | #124,548 | #145,757 | -17.0% |
| Count | 138 | 115 | -16.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -23.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Prokay bearers went from 138 to 115 (-16.7% change). The surname moved down 21,209 positions in the national ranking, going from #124,548 to #145,757.
FAQ
Prokay surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Prokay?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Prokay. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Prokay?
Prokay ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 115 people with the surname Prokay. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Prokay.
Has Prokay become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Prokay went from 138 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 23 (-16.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #124,548 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Prokay?
Among Census respondents with the surname Prokay, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Black (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Prokay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Prokay appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Black (3.5%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Prokay (2000, 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 Prokay mean?
A variant spelling of the surname Prokop, derived from a Slavic name meaning "to pierce" or "to breach". 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 Prokay (0.04 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 many people have the surname Prokay?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.