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

Pruss, 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 Pruss surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pruss in America

Pruss is the 24961st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pruss surname appeared 996 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 Pruss.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pruss 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 Pruss

The surname Pruss originates from the historical region of Prussia, which today encompasses parts of modern-day Germany, Poland, Russia, and Lithuania. It is believed to have emerged sometime during the Middle Ages, possibly as early as the 13th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pruss can be found in the Prussian Landrolls, historical records that documented landowners and their properties in the Prussian region. These records date back to the 14th century and provide valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of the name during that time.

The name Pruss is derived from the Old Prussian word "Prusy," which referred to the Baltic Prussian tribe that inhabited the region. This tribe was closely related to the Lithuanians and spoke a language that is now extinct. The word "Prusy" likely meant "people from the borderlands" or "people from the edge."

In the 15th century, during the Teutonic Crusades, the Prussian region was conquered and assimilated into the Teutonic Order, a Catholic military order. This event led to the Germanization of many Prussian names, including Pruss, which took on a more Germanic spelling and pronunciation.

One of the earliest known individuals to bear the surname Pruss was Hans Pruss, a merchant from Königsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia) who lived in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Johann Pruss, a Prussian astronomer and mathematician born in 1530 in the city of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland).

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Pruss became more widespread throughout Prussia and the surrounding regions. Notable individuals from this period include Heinrich Pruss (1577-1635), a Prussian composer and organist, and Sigismund Pruss (1638-1700), a Prussian theologian and author.

As the centuries passed, the Pruss surname spread beyond the borders of Prussia, with individuals bearing the name settling in various parts of Europe and eventually in other parts of the world. One notable figure from the 19th century was Carl Pruss (1826-1888), a Prussian-born American architect who designed several prominent buildings in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Throughout history, the Pruss surname has been associated with various professions and occupations, ranging from merchants and artisans to scholars and professionals. While the name has evolved and adapted over time, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Prussian tribe and their homeland in the Baltic region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pruss

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

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

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

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