2000
#736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 42,463
First available Census row
Per 100,000 15.74
Uncommon Last name
Pruitt
An English occupational surname referring to a tender of fruit trees, derived from the Old French "pruet".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 48,262 Americans carry the last name Pruitt. That puts it at #801 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 14.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,102 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pruitt 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.
Bearers in the US
48K
1 in 7,102
Census rank
#801
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
14.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
42K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 42,087 bearers of the surname Pruitt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 14.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 801st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pruitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.8%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pruitt
The surname Pruitt is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old French word "pruet," which means "little meadow" or "small field." This surname was likely given to someone who lived near or worked on a small meadow or field.
The earliest recorded instance of the Pruitt surname was found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, England, from 1273, where it was spelled as "Pruet." This document was a census-like record of landowners and their holdings in the county.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, such as "Pruett," "Pruitt," and "Pruet," in several historical records, including the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379 and the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1348.
The Pruitt surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Pruett's Bridge in Lancashire and Pruett's Farm in Gloucestershire. These place names likely derived from individuals with the Pruitt surname who owned or lived on those properties.
One of the earliest known individuals with the Pruitt surname was John Pruett, who was born in Gloucestershire, England, around 1460. He was mentioned in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Tewkesbury.
Another notable figure was Sir William Pruett (1534-1611), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, the Pruitt surname spread across the Atlantic as some members of the family immigrated to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded Pruitts in America was John Pruitt, who arrived in Virginia in 1635.
During the American Revolutionary War, Captain Joseph Pruitt (1743-1817) served in the Virginia Militia and fought in several battles, including the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in 1781.
In the 19th century, James Pruitt (1812-1890) was a prominent businessman and landowner in Tennessee, known for his philanthropic efforts in supporting education and religious institutions.
Throughout history, the Pruitt surname has been associated with various professions, including farmers, merchants, soldiers, and politicians, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pruitt
Among Census respondents with the surname Pruitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.8%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Pruitt 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 Pruitt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.8% · 29,372
- Black or African American21.0% · 8,849
- Two or more races4.8% · 2,005
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 1,366
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 295
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 200
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pruitt
Pruitt appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#777
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 44,365
+1,902 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 15.04
Rank movement Down 41 places
2020
#801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 42,087
-2,278 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 14.08
Rank movement Down 24 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #736 | 42,463 | 15.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #777 | 44,365 | 15.04 | +1,902 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 41 places |
| 2020 | #801 | 42,087 | 14.08 | -2,278 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 24 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 Pruitt 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 | #777 | #801 | -3.1% |
| Count | 44,365 | 42,087 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 15.04 | 14.08 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pruitt bearers went from 44,365 to 42,087 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 24 positions in the national ranking, going from #777 to #801.
FAQ
Pruitt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pruitt?
Name Census estimates that about 48,262 living Americans carry the surname Pruitt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,102 residents.
How common is Pruitt?
Pruitt ranks #801 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 14.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 14 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 42,087 people with the surname Pruitt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (48,262), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 14.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 14.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 14 of them to have the surname Pruitt.
Has Pruitt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pruitt went from 44,365 recorded bearers to 42,087. That is a decrease of 2,278 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #777 to #801.
What does the Census say about the background of Pruitt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pruitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.8%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Pruitt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.8% (29,372 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pruitt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.8%), Black (21.0%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Pruitt (2000, 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 Pruitt mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a tender of fruit trees, derived from the Old French "pruet". 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 Pruitt (14.08 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 share the surname Pruitt?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.