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

Prosper, 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 Prosper surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Prosper in America

Prosper is the 19878th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Prosper surname appeared 1,352 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 Prosper.

We can also compare 2010 data for Prosper 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 Prosper

The surname Prosper is believed to have originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Latin word "prospere," which means "to thrive" or "to prosper." The name may have been given to someone who was particularly successful or prosperous in their endeavors.

In the late 12th century, the name Prosper appeared in records from the region of Normandy, France. One of the earliest documented instances of the name was in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Étienne de Caen, a manuscript from the late 12th century that recorded the names of individuals who donated land or property to the abbey.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name Prosper began to spread throughout other regions of France, including Brittany and Île-de-France. The name also appeared in various spelling variations, such as Prospere, Prosperre, and Prosperus.

One notable individual with the surname Prosper was Jean Prosper, a French monk and historian who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was born in 1565 and is known for his work, "Histoire de la Ville de Lyon," which chronicled the history of the city of Lyon.

Another prominent figure was Jacques Prosper, a French writer and philosopher who lived in the 17th century. He was born in 1610 and is best known for his work "Traité de l'Existence de Dieu," which explored the existence of God and the nature of the universe.

In the 18th century, the surname Prosper was particularly prevalent in the region of Provence, France. One individual of note was Pierre Prosper, a French painter and engraver who was born in 1742 in Marseille. He is known for his landscapes and portraits, which were popular among the aristocracy of the time.

In the 19th century, the name Prosper appeared in various parts of Europe, including Belgium and Germany. One notable figure was Émile Prosper, a Belgian artist and sculptor who was born in 1825. He is best known for his monumental sculptures and public works, which can be found throughout Belgium and France.

Another individual with the surname Prosper was Gustave Prosper, a German musician and composer who lived in the late 19th century. He was born in 1861 and is known for his compositions for piano and chamber ensembles, which were influenced by the Romantic movement.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Prosper

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

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

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

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