Prowse
An English surname derived from the Old French term "prou", meaning brave or valiant.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 720 Americans carry the last name Prowse. That puts it at #36,630 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 476,048 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Prowse surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
720
1 in 476,048
Census rank
#36,630
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
610
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 610 bearers of the surname Prowse in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 36630th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Prowse, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Prowse
Among Census respondents with the surname Prowse, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Prowse bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Prowse surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.9%
- Hispanic or Latino2.5%
- Two or more races1.5%
- Unknown or suppressed1.1%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Prowse surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #34,459 | #36,630 | -6.3% |
| Count | 622 | 610 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.23 | 0.21 | -8.7% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Prowse bearers went from 622 to 610 (-1.9% change). The surname moved down 2,171 positions in the national ranking, going from #34,459 to #36,630.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Prowse
FAQ
Prowse surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Prowse?
The surname Prowse holds position #36,630 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 720 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Prowse surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Prowse, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.