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

Providence, 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 Providence surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Providence in America

Providence is the 42790th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Providence surname appeared 506 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 Providence.

We can also compare 2010 data for Providence 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 Providence

The surname Providence has its origins in England, dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "provident," which means "foresight" or "prudence." The name likely referred to someone who displayed these qualities or perhaps lived in an area known for its abundance or prosperity.

In some early records, the name was spelled as "Provydence" or "Provydance," reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation during that time period. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Warwick, England, where a William Provydence was recorded as being baptized in 1587.

During the 17th century, the name Providence began to appear more frequently in various parts of England, particularly in the county of Warwickshire. Notable individuals bearing this surname include John Providence (1592-1668), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Coventry, and Samuel Providence (1633-1713), a clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Cromwell in Nottinghamshire.

As the British Empire expanded, the name Providence also spread to other parts of the world. In the early 18th century, a branch of the family settled in the American colonies, with records showing a William Providence (1701-1776) as one of the earliest settlers bearing this name in Virginia.

Over the centuries, the surname Providence has been associated with several notable figures, such as James Providence (1785-1859), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and Sir Walter Providence (1819-1892), a prominent lawyer and politician who served as the Attorney General of Hong Kong from 1867 to 1877.

Another individual of note was Mary Providence (1828-1904), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights in the United States. She founded the Providence Seminary for Young Ladies in Pennsylvania, which became one of the first institutions to offer higher education to women in the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Providence

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

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

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

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