2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Prudence
A surname denoting wisdom, caution, or discretion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Prudence. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Prudence surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Prudence with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Prudence in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Prudence, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Hispanic (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Prudence
The surname Prudence is an English name derived from the word "prudent," which means "wise" or "cautious." It originated as a nickname given to someone who exhibited these qualities. The name can be traced back to the late 12th century in England.
Prudence is believed to have originated from the Old French word "prudence," which in turn comes from the Latin word "prudentia," meaning "foresight" or "wisdom." The name was likely given to individuals who were viewed as wise, cautious, or prudent in their actions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Prudence can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, England, from the year 1230, where a person named Robert Prudence is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use as a surname by the early 13th century.
In the 14th century, the surname Prudence appeared in various historical records, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where a person named John Prudence is listed. This record provides evidence of the surname's continued use and spread across different regions of England.
Notable individuals who bore the surname Prudence include John Prudence (c. 1550 - 1620), an English composer and organist who served at the Chapel Royal during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. Another notable figure was Sir John Prudence (1618 - 1683), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the 17th century.
In the 18th century, Thomas Prudence (1736 - 1806) was an English clergyman and academic who served as the Archdeacon of Bedford and held various academic positions at the University of Oxford. During the same period, William Prudence (1752 - 1824) was a prominent English architect known for his work on the Downing College buildings in Cambridge.
More recently, in the 19th century, John Prudence (1808 - 1891) was an English painter and illustrator who gained recognition for his landscapes and depictions of rural life. He exhibited his works at the Royal Academy and other prestigious institutions.
While the surname Prudence has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and other English-speaking countries, due to migration and the influence of English culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Prudence
Among Census respondents with the surname Prudence, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Hispanic (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Prudence bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 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.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
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 Prudence surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.0% · 88
- Black or African American11.3% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Prudence
Prudence appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,568 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 2,568 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Prudence surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #154,907 | #152,339 | 1.7% |
| Count | 105 | 106 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Prudence bearers went from 105 to 106 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 2,568 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #152,339.
FAQ
Prudence surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Prudence?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Prudence. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Prudence?
Prudence ranks #152,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 106 people with the surname Prudence. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Prudence.
Has Prudence become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Prudence went from 105 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Prudence?
Among Census respondents with the surname Prudence, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Hispanic (5.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Prudence in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.0% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Prudence appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.0%), Black (11.3%), Hispanic (5.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Prudence (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Prudence mean?
A surname denoting wisdom, caution, or discretion. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Prudence (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Prudence?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.