2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Prokott
A surname potentially derived from a Czech or Slovak variation of the word "prokop" meaning "to dig" or "ditch digger".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Prokott. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Prokott 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Prokott in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Prokott, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Prokott
The surname Prokott is of German origin, and it is believed to have originated in the regions of Bavaria and Austria during the 16th century. The name is derived from the Old German word "prokott," which means a small house or a cottage, suggesting that the name may have been initially used to identify someone who lived in a small dwelling.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Prokott can be found in the records of the town of Augsburg, Bavaria, in the year 1568, where a certain Johann Prokott is listed as a resident. Another early mention of the name appears in a manuscript from the city of Vienna, Austria, dated 1592, which refers to a merchant named Hans Prokott.
In the 17th century, the name Prokott began to spread beyond Bavaria and Austria, with records indicating families bearing this surname in other parts of Germany, as well as in neighboring regions such as Bohemia and Silesia. One notable example from this period is Peter Prokott, a prominent clockmaker who lived in the city of Nuremberg from 1625 to 1691.
The 18th century saw the emergence of several notable individuals with the surname Prokott. Among them was Johann Prokott (1712-1782), a respected scholar and theologian who served as a professor at the University of Jena in Saxony. Another figure of note was Maria Prokott (1738-1807), a renowned singer and composer who performed at the court of the Prince-Elector of Bavaria.
As the name spread across Europe, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Prokot, Prokoth, and Prokotte. One instance of this can be found in the records of the town of Zittau, in present-day Germany, where a family by the name of Prokotte is mentioned in the late 18th century.
In the 19th century, the Prokott surname continued to be found in various parts of Germany and Austria, as well as in other European countries where German-speaking communities had settled. One notable individual from this period was Karl Prokott (1823-1892), a German-born architect who gained recognition for his work in the city of St. Petersburg, Russia.
Throughout its history, the surname Prokott has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, ranging from scholars and artists to tradesmen and merchants. While not a particularly common name, it has left a lasting imprint on the cultural and historical tapestry of the regions where it originated and subsequently spread.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Prokott
Among Census respondents with the surname Prokott, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Prokott 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 Prokott surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.7% · 116
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Prokott
Prokott 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,708 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,722 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 7,708 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 4,722 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 Prokott 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 | #137,327 | #142,049 | -3.4% |
| Count | 122 | 120 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Prokott bearers went from 122 to 120 (-1.6% change). The surname moved down 4,722 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #142,049.
FAQ
Prokott surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Prokott?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Prokott. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Prokott?
Prokott ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Prokott. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Prokott.
Has Prokott become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Prokott went from 122 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Prokott?
Among Census respondents with the surname Prokott, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Prokott in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.7% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Prokott appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Prokott (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 Prokott mean?
A surname potentially derived from a Czech or Slovak variation of the word "prokop" meaning "to dig" or "ditch digger". 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 Prokott (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 common is the surname Prokott?
You can see how many people have the last name Prokott on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.