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

Prox, 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 Prox surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Prox in America

Prox is the 73215th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Prox surname appeared 265 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 Prox.

We can also compare 2010 data for Prox 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 Prox

The surname PROX is believed to have originated in Germany during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Old German word "prox," which means "broker" or "middleman." This suggests that the name likely referred to an individual who worked as a broker or intermediary in business transactions.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name PROX can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen, dating back to the year 1304. The name appears as "Prox" in reference to a merchant or trader.

In the 15th century, the name PROX began to spread beyond Germany to other parts of Europe. Records show that in 1487, a Johannes Prox was a resident of the city of Nuremberg, which was a major center of trade and commerce at the time.

As the name PROX spread, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Proxe, Proxx, and Procksch. These variations were likely due to regional differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions.

One notable individual with the surname PROX was Hans Prox (1500-1572), a German painter and engraver who lived and worked in Nuremberg during the Renaissance period. His works, which included religious paintings and engravings, are considered important examples of the Nuremberg Renaissance style.

Another significant figure was Johann Prox (1635-1691), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister (chapel master) at the court of the Duke of Württemberg in Stuttgart. His compositions, which include sacred vocal works and instrumental pieces, were influential in the development of the baroque musical style in Germany.

In the 19th century, the PROX surname gained prominence in the field of education. Wilhelm Prox (1818-1892) was a German educator and writer who published several influential works on teaching methods and pedagogy.

While the name PROX has its roots in Germany, it eventually spread to other parts of the world through emigration. One notable example is Albert Prox (1846-1918), a German-American immigrant who became a successful businessman and philanthropist in New York City.

Throughout its history, the surname PROX has maintained a connection to its origins in trade, commerce, and entrepreneurship, reflecting the occupation of the earliest known bearers of the name. While variations in spelling and pronunciation have occurred over time, the name's distinctive Germanic roots have remained a defining characteristic.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Prox

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!