2000
#35,994
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 589
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.22
Very Rare Last name
Prieur
A French surname derived from the word "prieur" meaning prior, an ecclesiastical title.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 765 Americans carry the last name Prieur. That puts it at #36,150 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 448,045 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Prieur 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
765
1 in 448,045
Census rank
#36,150
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
667
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 667 bearers of the surname Prieur in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 36150th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Prieur, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Prieur
The surname Prieur originated in France during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "prieur," which means "prior" or the head of a monastery. The name is associated with individuals who held influential positions within religious institutions or monasteries during that era.
The earliest known record of the surname Prieur dates back to the 12th century in the Normandy region of northern France. It is believed that the name was initially adopted by individuals who served as priors or held positions of authority within local monasteries or abbeys.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named Jean Prieur was recorded as a prominent member of the clergy in the city of Rouen. He played a significant role in the construction of the famous Rouen Cathedral, which remains one of the most impressive examples of Gothic architecture in France.
During the 14th century, the name Prieur appeared in various historical documents, including land records and tax rolls. One notable individual was Guillaume Prieur, who was a renowned scholar and philosopher born in 1336 in the town of Auxerre. He authored several influential works on theology and logic.
In the 15th century, the surname Prieur gained prominence in the region of Burgundy. Claude Prieur, born in 1458, was a prominent lawyer and judge who served in the Parlement of Dijon, the highest court of law in the Duchy of Burgundy at that time.
Another notable figure was Jacques Prieur, born in 1589 in the city of Lyon. He was a skilled architect and engineer who contributed to the design and construction of several prominent buildings and infrastructure projects in Lyon during the 17th century.
The name Prieur has also been associated with individuals who played significant roles in various fields, such as literature, politics, and the military. For instance, Claude-Antoine Prieur, born in 1763, was a prominent figure during the French Revolution and served as a member of the Committee of Public Safety, which played a crucial role in the revolutionary government.
Overall, the surname Prieur has a rich history deeply rooted in the religious and cultural traditions of medieval France. It has been borne by individuals who have made significant contributions across various domains, leaving a lasting legacy on French society and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Prieur
Among Census respondents with the surname Prieur, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Prieur 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 Prieur surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.4% · 596
- Two or more races4.3% · 29
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 24
- Black or African American1.3% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Prieur
Prieur 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
#34,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 648
+59 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Up 1,159 places
2020
#36,150
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 667
+19 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 1,315 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #35,994 | 589 | 0.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #34,835 | 648 | 0.22 | +59 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 1,159 places |
| 2020 | #36,150 | 667 | 0.22 | +19 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 1,315 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 Prieur 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 | #34,835 | #36,150 | -3.8% |
| Count | 648 | 667 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.22 | 1.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Prieur bearers went from 648 to 667 (+2.9% change). The surname moved down 1,315 positions in the national ranking, going from #34,835 to #36,150.
FAQ
Prieur surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Prieur?
Name Census estimates that about 765 living Americans carry the surname Prieur. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 448,045 residents.
How common is Prieur?
Prieur ranks #36,150 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.22 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 667 people with the surname Prieur. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (765), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.22 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 Prieur.
Has Prieur become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Prieur went from 648 recorded bearers to 667. That is an increase of 19 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #34,835 to #36,150.
What does the Census say about the background of Prieur?
Among Census respondents with the surname Prieur, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Prieur in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (596 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Prieur appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.4%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Prieur (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 Prieur mean?
A French surname derived from the word "prieur" meaning prior, an ecclesiastical title. 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 Prieur (0.22 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 last name Prieur?
If you just want to know how common the surname Prieur is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.