2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Prusi
A surname derived from the Polish word meaning "Prussian".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Prusi. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Prusi 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Prusi in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Prusi, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Prusi
The surname "PRUSI" is of Polish origin, tracing its roots back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the region of Greater Poland, specifically around the town of Pruszków, located in the Masovian Voivodeship. The name is derived from the Slavic word "prusz," which means "a person from Prussia."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "PRUSI" can be found in a 16th-century document from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, where it was spelled "Pruski." This variant spelling suggests a connection to the historical region of Prussia, which at the time included parts of modern-day Poland, Russia, and Lithuania.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various church records and land ownership documents in the towns of Pruszków and Grodzisk Mazowiecki, both located in the Masovian region of Poland. This indicates that the surname was well-established in the area during this period.
One notable bearer of the "PRUSI" surname was Jan Prusi (1590-1639), a Polish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Polish-Swedish Wars. Another historical figure was Marcin Prusi (1710-1782), a prominent Polish architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Warsaw and its surrounding areas.
In the 19th century, the name "PRUSI" is found in several genealogical records and census documents from the Russian Empire, which had annexed parts of Poland during the Partitions. This suggests that families bearing this surname may have migrated or been displaced to different regions during this turbulent period in Polish history.
Another notable individual with the surname "PRUSI" was Stanisław Prusi (1848-1912), a Polish writer and journalist who was active during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best known for his satirical novel "The Doll," which offered a critical portrayal of the Polish upper class during the partitions.
Throughout the centuries, the surname "PRUSI" has been associated with various professions and social classes, from noblemen and military leaders to architects and writers. While its origins can be traced back to the Masovian region of Poland, the name has since spread to other parts of the country and beyond, carried by families and individuals who have left their mark on Polish history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Prusi
Among Census respondents with the surname Prusi, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Prusi 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 Prusi surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Prusi
Prusi 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
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+4 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,723 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+4.0%) | Up 6,723 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 Prusi 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 | #159,712 | #152,989 | 4.2% |
| Count | 101 | 105 | 4.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Prusi bearers went from 101 to 105 (+4.0% change). The surname moved up 6,723 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #152,989.
FAQ
Prusi surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Prusi?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Prusi. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Prusi?
Prusi ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Prusi. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Prusi.
Has Prusi become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Prusi went from 101 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 4 (+4.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Prusi?
Among Census respondents with the surname Prusi, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Prusi in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Prusi appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Hispanic (1.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Prusi (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 Prusi mean?
A surname derived from the Polish word meaning "Prussian". 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 Prusi (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 are called Prusi?
You can see how common the surname Prusi is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.