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

Prowse, 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 Prowse surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Prowse in America

Prowse is the 36630th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Prowse surname appeared 610 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 Prowse.

We can also compare 2010 data for Prowse 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 Prowse

The surname Prowse has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "prow," meaning brave or valiant. This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone who exhibited exceptional courage or bravery.

During the Middle Ages, surnames were often adopted based on physical characteristics, occupations, or places of origin. In the case of Prowse, it is possible that the name was originally associated with individuals who were known for their bravery, either in battle or in other aspects of life.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Prowse surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1230, where it appears as "Prude." This variation in spelling was common during that time, as standardized spellings were not yet established.

The Prowse name also appears in various historical records throughout the centuries. For instance, in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, a certain Robert Prowde is mentioned. Additionally, the Hearth Tax Returns of Oxfordshire from 1665 list a John Prowse as a resident.

Notable individuals with the Prowse surname include:

1. William Prowse (born around 1540), an English philosopher and mathematician known for his work on logic and the theory of equations.

2. Robert Prowse (1753-1834), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

3. Arthur Prowse (1835-1914), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the mid-19th century.

4. Philip Vaughan Prowse (1868-1940), an English actor and theatre manager who helped popularize the works of George Bernard Shaw and Oscar Wilde.

5. Kathleen Prowse (1900-1981), a Canadian artist and printmaker known for her woodcut and linocut prints depicting scenes from rural life.

The Prowse surname has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Prowse's Plantation in Somerset and Prowse's Farm in Wiltshire. These place names likely originated from early bearers of the surname who owned or resided in those locations.

While the origins of the Prowse surname can be traced back to medieval England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, carried by descendants of English immigrants.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Prowse

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

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

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

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