2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Prussack
From the German "Preuss" meaning Prussian and "-ack" suffix, a topographic name for someone from Prussia.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Prussack. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Prussack 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Prussack in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Prussack, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Black (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Prussack
The surname Prussack originated in the region of Prussia, which is now located in modern-day Poland and parts of Russia. The name likely dates back to the 13th or 14th century during the Prussian Crusades, when the Teutonic Knights conquered and Christianized the pagan Prussian tribes.
Prussack is believed to be derived from the Old Prussian word "prusa," meaning "a Prussian person." The suffix "-ack" was commonly added to Prussian surnames during this period, indicating a connection to the region or its inhabitants. Variations in spelling, such as Prussak or Pruszak, were common due to differences in regional dialects and scribal practices.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Prussack can be found in the 1486 Kulmer Handfeste, an important legal document from the region of Kulmerland, which was part of the Prussian territory controlled by the Teutonic Knights. This document mentions a certain "Hans Prussack" among the signatories.
In the 16th century, the name appears in church records from the town of Königsberg, which was then the capital of the Duchy of Prussia. A notable figure from this time was Johann Prussack (1516-1572), a prominent Protestant reformer and theologian who served as a pastor in Königsberg.
As the Prussian territories expanded and evolved over the centuries, the name Prussack spread to other areas. One notable figure was Friedrich Prussack (1676-1739), a Prussian military officer who served under King Frederick William I and participated in the Great Northern War.
In the 19th century, the name appeared in records from the Prussian province of Silesia, where a prominent family of landowners and industrialists bearing the name Prussack resided. One notable member was Karl Prussack (1824-1892), a successful businessman and philanthropist who founded several educational institutions in the region.
Another notable figure was Wilhelm Prussack (1854-1928), a Prussian-born artist and illustrator who gained recognition for his detailed etchings and engravings depicting scenes from rural life in his homeland.
While the name Prussack is not as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich cultural and historical legacy of the Prussian region, reflecting the complex intermingling of various ethnic groups and the enduring influence of the Teutonic Knights and their crusades.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Prussack
Among Census respondents with the surname Prussack, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Black (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Prussack 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 Prussack surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.4% · 107
- Two or more races5.8% · 7
- Black or African American3.3% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Prussack
Prussack 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+5 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,190 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,860 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 4,190 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 4,860 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 Prussack 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 | #136,449 | #141,309 | -3.6% |
| Count | 123 | 121 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Prussack bearers went from 123 to 121 (-1.6% change). The surname moved down 4,860 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #141,309.
FAQ
Prussack surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Prussack?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Prussack. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Prussack?
Prussack ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Prussack. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Prussack.
Has Prussack become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Prussack went from 123 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Prussack?
Among Census respondents with the surname Prussack, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Black (3.3%). 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 Prussack in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Prussack appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.4%), Two or More Races (5.8%), Black (3.3%). 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 Prussack (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 Prussack mean?
From the German "Preuss" meaning Prussian and "-ack" suffix, a topographic name for someone from Prussia. 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 Prussack (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 Prussack?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.