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

Protas, 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 Protas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Protas in America

Protas is the 94730th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Protas surname appeared 193 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 Protas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Protas 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 Protas

The surname Protas has its origins in Poland, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Polish personal name Protas, a diminutive form of the Greek name Protasius. This name was popular among early Christians and is derived from the Greek word "protos," meaning "first."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Protas surname can be found in the parish records of the village of Łowicz, located in central Poland. The name appears in a baptismal record dated 1598, referring to a certain Maciej Protas.

In the 17th century, the Protas surname gained prominence in the region of Masovia, particularly in the towns of Płock and Gostynin. During this period, several members of the Protas family held positions of importance within the local nobility and clergy.

One notable figure was Jan Protas (1620-1698), a Polish Catholic priest and theologian who served as the canon of the Płock Cathedral. His treatise on moral theology, titled "De Virtutibus Theologicis," was widely studied in seminaries across Poland.

Another historical figure bearing the Protas surname was Tomasz Protas (1758-1824), a Polish military officer who fought in the Kościuszko Uprising against the Russian Empire in 1794. He later served in the Polish Legions under Napoleon Bonaparte and rose to the rank of colonel.

In the 19th century, the Protas surname spread beyond Poland's borders, with some family members migrating to other parts of Europe and North America. One such individual was Stanisław Protas (1841-1902), a Polish-American immigrant who settled in Chicago and became a prominent figure in the city's Polish community.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the Protas surname was also found in the Russian Empire, particularly in the regions of modern-day Belarus and Ukraine. One notable bearer of the name was Mikołaj Protas (1873-1948), a Belarusian writer and activist who played a significant role in the development of the Belarusian literary language.

Other historical figures with the Protas surname include Zygmunt Protas (1884-1957), a Polish painter and graphic artist known for his landscape and genre paintings, and Władysław Protas (1901-1989), a Polish engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of aviation technology.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Protas

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

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

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

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