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

Pryor, 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 Pryor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pryor in America

Pryor is the 1263rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pryor surname appeared 27,805 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Pryor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pryor 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 Pryor

The surname PRYOR originated from Normandy, France in the early medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "priur" meaning prior, a monastic official who ranked second in command after an abbot or abbess. The name likely referred to someone who held this position or had some association with a priory.

In England, the surname PRYOR is found in records dating back to the 12th century, soon after the Norman Conquest of 1066. One of the earliest known bearers was William Pryor, recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1194. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a John le Priour in Oxfordshire.

The PRYOR surname has roots in various English counties, including Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, and Norfolk. It is also found in early records from Scotland and Ireland, likely due to migration from England. Variations in spelling include Pryour, Pryor, Pryer, and Prior.

In the 13th century, the PRYOR surname appeared in the Subsidy Rolls for Worcestershire, referring to a Robert le Priour. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334 record a John Priour in Norfolk. The name is also mentioned in the Testamenta Eboracensia, a collection of wills from the Diocese of York, dating back to the 14th century.

Notable historical figures with the PRYOR surname include Sir Robert Pryor (c.1512-1548), a wealthy merchant and Lord Mayor of London in 1537. Arthur Pryor (1870-1942) was an American trombone soloist, bandleader, and composer known as the "Sousa of the Trombone."

Other prominent individuals with this surname were Richard Pryor (1940-2005), an influential American stand-up comedian and actor; Roger Pryor (1899-1962), an American actor and singer; and Joseph Everett Pryor (1853-1920), an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Representative from North Carolina.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pryor

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

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

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

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