2000
#17,561
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,477
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.55
Rare Last name
Profit
A surname derived from the French "proufit" meaning gain or advantage.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,805 Americans carry the last name Profit. That puts it at #17,543 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 189,892 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Profit 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Profit with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.8K
1 in 189,892
Census rank
#17,543
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,574 bearers of the surname Profit in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17543rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Profit, the largest self-reported group is Black at 65.5%. The next largest groups are White (25.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Profit
The surname Profit is of English origin, with its roots dating back to the late 13th century. The name is derived from the Old French word "prou-fit," meaning "benefit" or "advantage." It likely originated as an occupational name for someone who engaged in profitable or lucrative activities.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Profit appears in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire in 1273, where it is listed as "Profyt." This document is a valuable source for studying the distribution of surnames in medieval England.
During the 14th century, the Profit surname began to appear more frequently in various historical records, such as the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where it is spelled "Profyte." This spelling variation highlights the fluidity of surnames during that period.
One notable historical figure with the Profit surname was John Profit, a merchant and alderman of London who lived in the late 15th century. He is mentioned in the Repertories of the Court of Aldermen, a collection of records documenting the proceedings of the City of London's governing body.
In the 16th century, the Profit surname gained prominence in the county of Gloucestershire, where it was closely associated with the village of Naunton. Thomas Profit (1532-1593), a wealthy landowner and benefactor from Naunton, left a significant legacy in the form of a charitable trust that still exists today.
Another notable individual with the Profit surname was William Profit (1629-1705), a prominent Quaker minister and writer from Yorkshire. He authored several religious works and was a influential figure in the early Quaker movement.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Profit surname spread across various parts of England, with concentrations in counties such as Gloucestershire, Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire. The name is also found in historical records from this period, such as parish registers and tax records.
Other notable individuals with the Profit surname include John Profit (1776-1858), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars, and Robert Profit (1813-1891), a successful industrialist and philanthropist from Lancashire.
Overall, the surname Profit has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval England, where it originated as an occupational name. Its evolution and spread across various regions of the country have contributed to its enduring presence in the English surname landscape.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Profit
Among Census respondents with the surname Profit, the largest self-reported group is Black at 65.5%. The next largest groups are White (25.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Profit 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 Profit surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American65.5% · 1,031
- White25.8% · 406
- Two or more races4.1% · 65
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 63
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Profit
Profit 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
#17,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,648
+171 bearers (+11.6%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Up 379 places
2020
#17,543
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,574
-74 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.53
Rank movement Down 361 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,561 | 1,477 | 0.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,182 | 1,648 | 0.56 | +171 bearers (+11.6%) | Up 379 places |
| 2020 | #17,543 | 1,574 | 0.53 | -74 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 361 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 Profit 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 | #17,182 | #17,543 | -2.1% |
| Count | 1,648 | 1,574 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.56 | 0.53 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Profit bearers went from 1,648 to 1,574 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 361 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,182 to #17,543.
FAQ
Profit surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Profit?
Name Census estimates that about 1,805 living Americans carry the surname Profit. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 189,892 residents.
How common is Profit?
Profit ranks #17,543 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.53 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,574 people with the surname Profit. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,805), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.53 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Profit.
Has Profit become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Profit went from 1,648 recorded bearers to 1,574. That is a decrease of 74 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #17,182 to #17,543.
What does the Census say about the background of Profit?
Among Census respondents with the surname Profit, the largest self-reported group is Black at 65.5%. The next largest groups are White (25.8%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Profit in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.5% (1,031 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Profit appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (65.5%), White (25.8%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Profit (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 Profit mean?
A surname derived from the French "proufit" meaning gain or advantage. 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 Profit (0.53 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 share the surname Profit?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.