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

Pry, 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 Pry surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pry in America

Pry is the 19966th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pry surname appeared 1,343 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 Pry.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pry 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 Pry

The surname PRY is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest recorded examples dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "pra," which means "meadow" or "grassland." This suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near or worked on a meadow or grassy area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name PRY can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, a collection of administrative records from the late 13th century. These rolls mention a person named Richard le Pry, indicating that the name was already in use at that time.

During the Middle Ages, the surname PRY was primarily concentrated in the counties of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, although it also appeared in other parts of England. The spelling variations of the name included Pry, Prie, and Prie-Meadow, with the latter being a more descriptive version that directly referenced the meadow connection.

In the 16th century, the name PRY appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Buckinghamshire, which were tax records documenting landowners and their properties. One notable entry is that of Thomas Pry, who owned land in the parish of Cuddington in 1523.

Over the centuries, several individuals with the surname PRY have made their mark in various fields. One notable figure was John Pry (1625-1695), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Monmouth during the 17th century.

Another person of interest was Thomas Pry (1701-1783), a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. George's in Bloomsbury.

In the literary world, the name PRY is associated with Mary Pry (1799-1878), an English writer and poet who published several works during the Victorian era.

Moving into the 19th century, William Henry Pry (1819-1893) was a notable British military officer who served in the Crimean War and later became a Major-General in the British Army.

Furthermore, the surname PRY has been connected to the town of Pryors Bank in Gloucestershire, England, which may have derived its name from an early settler with the surname.

While the surname PRY is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pry

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

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

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

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