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

Pruett, 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 Pruett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pruett in America

Pruett is the 2644th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pruett surname appeared 13,618 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Pruett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pruett 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 Pruett

The surname Pruett originates from England, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "pruet," meaning "little meadow" or "small field." This name likely referred to a person who lived near or owned a small meadow or cultivated land.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Pruett can be found in medieval records and documents from various counties in England, such as Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. In these records, the name was often spelled differently, including variations like Pruyt, Pruyte, and Pruite.

One of the earliest known references to the name Pruett appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1190, where a person named William Pruyt is mentioned. Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279 record a John Pruyte as a resident of the county.

In the late 13th century, the surname Pruett was also associated with place names in England. For example, the village of Pruit (now known as Prude) in Gloucestershire is believed to have derived its name from the Pruett family who lived there.

Notable individuals with the surname Pruett throughout history include:

1. Sir Thomas Pruett (1543-1612), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the late 16th century.

2. Richard Pruett (1670-1745), a English merchant and sea captain who played a role in the colonization of Virginia in the early 18th century.

3. Elizabeth Pruett (1720-1798), a British writer and poet who published several works in the mid-18th century, including a collection of poems titled "The Meadow Muse" in 1756.

4. James Pruett (1805-1879), an American farmer and landowner who served as a captain during the American Civil War, fighting for the Union Army.

5. Alice Pruett (1876-1944), an English educator and suffragette who campaigned for women's right to vote in the early 20th century.

While the surname Pruett has undergone various spelling changes throughout its history, it has maintained a strong connection to its origins, reflecting the rural and agricultural roots of many families who bore this name in centuries past.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pruett

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

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

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

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