2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Proos
A surname of German origin, possibly derived from the word "Preuße" meaning Prussian.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Proos. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Proos 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Proos in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Proos, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Proos
The surname PROOS is of German origin, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the Low German word "pros," which means "proud" or "arrogant." This term was likely used as a descriptive nickname for someone who exhibited a haughty demeanor or carried themselves with an air of superiority.
The first known record of the PROOS surname appears in a 1387 document from the city of Cologne, where a certain Heinrich PROOS is mentioned as a merchant guild member. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the Rhineland region of Germany by the late Middle Ages.
In the 16th century, a family bearing the PROOS surname gained prominence in the town of Soest, located in the historic region of Westphalia. Records show that a Johann PROOS, born in 1521, served as a respected alderman and magistrate in the town council.
Across the centuries, the PROOS surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Prooss, Proß, and Proos. These variations can often be attributed to regional dialects and differences in scribal record-keeping practices.
One notable figure from history who bore the PROOS surname was Hans PROOS (1585-1663), a German painter and engraver who was born in Nuremberg. He is known for his intricate etchings and engravings depicting scenes from the Thirty Years' War.
Another individual of historical significance was Johann Friedrich PROOS (1727-1801), a German composer and organist who served as the court Kapellmeister in Brunswick. His compositions, primarily focused on sacred choral works, were highly regarded during his lifetime.
In the realm of literature, the name PROOS is associated with the 19th-century German novelist and playwright Ernst PROOS (1835-1892). Born in Hanover, he gained recognition for his satirical works that often explored social and political themes of the time.
Moving into the 20th century, one notable figure was the German-American physicist Hans PROOS (1907-1993), who made significant contributions to the field of quantum mechanics and worked on the Manhattan Project during World War II.
Finally, in the realm of sports, the PROOS surname is associated with the German Olympic athlete Inge PROOS (born 1936), who won a gold medal in the 4x100m relay at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Proos
Among Census respondents with the surname Proos, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Proos 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 Proos surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.3% · 110
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Proos
Proos 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+21 bearers (+20.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,299 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-12 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,509 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +21 bearers (+20.2%) | Up 11,299 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 12,509 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 Proos 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 | #134,712 | #147,221 | -9.3% |
| Count | 125 | 113 | -9.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Proos bearers went from 125 to 113 (-9.6% change). The surname moved down 12,509 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #147,221.
FAQ
Proos surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Proos?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Proos. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Proos?
Proos ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Proos. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Proos.
Has Proos become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Proos went from 125 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Proos?
Among Census respondents with the surname Proos, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Proos in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Proos appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.3%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Proos (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 Proos mean?
A surname of German origin, possibly derived from the word "Preuße" meaning Prussian. 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 Proos (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 last name Proos?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Proos, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.