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

Proto, 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 Proto surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Proto in America

Proto is the 21009th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Proto surname appeared 1,252 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 Proto.

We can also compare 2010 data for Proto 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 Proto

The surname Proto originated in Italy during the late Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "prothus," which means "first" or "foremost." The earliest recorded mention of the name dates back to the 13th century in the city of Florence, where a family with the surname Proto was documented in a local census.

During the Renaissance period, the Proto family played a significant role in the cultural and intellectual life of Florence. One notable figure was Giovanni Proto, a renowned humanist scholar and philosopher who lived from 1430 to 1498. His works on classical literature and philosophy were highly influential during his time.

As the Proto family grew and spread across Italy, variations of the surname emerged, such as Protto and Protio. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local pronunciations.

In the 16th century, a branch of the Proto family settled in the city of Naples, where they became prominent merchants and traders. One of the most notable members of this branch was Antonio Proto, born in 1562, who established a successful trading company that dealt with goods from the East Indies.

The name Proto also appears in historical records related to the Catholic Church. In the 17th century, Father Girolamo Proto (1590-1667) was a respected Jesuit priest and theologian who authored several influential works on religious doctrine.

Another notable figure with the surname Proto was Domenico Proto (1715-1782), an architect and engineer from the Kingdom of Naples. He was responsible for the design and construction of several important buildings and infrastructure projects in the region.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the Proto surname continued to be prevalent in various parts of Italy, with individuals from this family contributing to various fields, including law, medicine, and the arts.

One of the most famous individuals with the Proto surname in modern times was Mario Proto (1905-1983), an Italian politician and journalist who served as a member of the Italian parliament and played a significant role in the country's post-war reconstruction efforts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Proto

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

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

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

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