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

Pryear, 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 Pryear surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pryear in America

Pryear is the 110825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pryear surname appeared 159 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 Pryear.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pryear 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 Pryear

The surname Pryear is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "prei" or "praye," meaning plunder or prey, and the word "eare," meaning one who hunts or pursues. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone whose occupation involved hunting or acquiring prey.

One of the earliest known references to the surname Pryear can be found in the Domesday Book, a record of landowners compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Preiere" and is listed as a landowner in the county of Shropshire.

In the 13th century, the surname was recorded as "Preyour" and "Preyor" in various documents from the counties of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. This variation in spelling was common during that time, as standardized spellings for surnames had not yet been established.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Pryear was Sir William Pryear, a knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He was born in 1320 and participated in several battles against the French, including the Battle of Crécy in 1346.

During the 16th century, the surname Pryear was found in records from the county of Wiltshire, where it was spelled as "Pryar" and "Prier." This variation may have been influenced by the nearby town of Pryeridge, which was once known as "Prier's Ridge."

Another notable individual with the surname Pryear was John Pryear, a merchant and explorer who lived in the late 16th century. He is known for his travels to the West Indies and his writings about the indigenous peoples and natural resources of the region.

In the 17th century, the surname Pryear was recorded in the parish records of Gloucestershire and Somerset, where it was spelled as "Pryear" and "Prier." One notable figure from this time was Thomas Pryear, a clergyman and scholar who was born in 1625 and served as the rector of a parish in Oxfordshire.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname Pryear continued to be found in various parts of England, with slight variations in spelling such as "Pryar," "Prier," and "Pryor." Notable individuals from this period include Richard Pryear, a successful merchant and landowner who lived in the late 18th century, and Elizabeth Pryear, an author and poet born in 1820.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pryear

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

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

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

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