2000
#13,085
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,144
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Pryce
A Welsh toponymic surname derived from the word "pres," meaning brushwood or shrubland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,209 Americans carry the last name Pryce. That puts it at #10,880 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 106,810 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pryce 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 Pryce with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 106,810
Census rank
#10,880
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,798 bearers of the surname Pryce in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10880th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pryce, the largest self-reported group is Black at 57.1%. The next largest groups are White (32.7%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pryce
The surname Pryce originates from Wales, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Welsh word "ap Rhys," meaning "son of Rhys," with Rhys being a common Welsh personal name. This patronymic naming system was widely used in Wales before the adoption of fixed surnames.
The name Pryce can be traced back to various regions in Wales, particularly in areas like Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire, and Breconshire. Its earliest recorded spellings include "ap Rees," "ap Res," and "ap Ryce," which eventually evolved into the modern form of "Pryce."
Historical references to the name Pryce can be found in various medieval Welsh records and manuscripts. One notable example is the appearance of the name in the Llyfr Baglan, a 15th-century Welsh manuscript containing poetry and historical information.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Pryce was Rhys ap Gruffydd (c. 1132-1197), a Welsh prince and leader who played a significant role in the conflicts between the Welsh and the Norman invaders. Another notable figure was Sir John Pryce (c. 1505-1573), a Welsh landowner and member of the Council of Wales during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Other prominent individuals with the surname Pryce include:
1. Samuel Pryce (1628-1704), a Welsh clergyman and writer known for his work on the history of Radnorshire.
2. William Pryce (1700-1772), a Welsh naturalist and author of the book "Mineralogia Cornubiensis," which explored the minerals of Cornwall.
3. Thomas Pryce (1801-1878), a Welsh artist and engraver known for his landscapes and architectural drawings.
4. John Pryce-Jones (1835-1899), a Welsh businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament.
5. Hilda Pryce (1892-1975), a Welsh artist and illustrator renowned for her work in children's literature.
Throughout history, the surname Pryce has been associated with various place names and locations in Wales, such as Pryce's Castle in Montgomeryshire and Pryce's Farm in Radnorshire. These place names often reflect the presence and influence of individuals bearing the Pryce surname in those areas.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pryce
Among Census respondents with the surname Pryce, the largest self-reported group is Black at 57.1%. The next largest groups are White (32.7%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Pryce 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 Pryce surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American57.1% · 1,598
- White32.7% · 915
- Two or more races4.8% · 133
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 124
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pryce
Pryce 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
#12,055
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,587
+443 bearers (+20.7%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Up 1,030 places
2020
#10,880
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,798
+211 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Up 1,175 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,085 | 2,144 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,055 | 2,587 | 0.88 | +443 bearers (+20.7%) | Up 1,030 places |
| 2020 | #10,880 | 2,798 | 0.94 | +211 bearers (+8.2%) | Up 1,175 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 Pryce 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 | #12,055 | #10,880 | 9.7% |
| Count | 2,587 | 2,798 | 8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.88 | 0.94 | 6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pryce bearers went from 2,587 to 2,798 (+8.2% change). The surname moved up 1,175 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,055 to #10,880.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Pryce
FAQ
Pryce surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pryce?
Name Census estimates that about 3,209 living Americans carry the surname Pryce. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 106,810 residents.
How common is Pryce?
Pryce ranks #10,880 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 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 2,798 people with the surname Pryce. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,209), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 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 Pryce.
Has Pryce become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pryce went from 2,587 recorded bearers to 2,798. That is an increase of 211 (+8.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,055 to #10,880.
What does the Census say about the background of Pryce?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pryce, the largest self-reported group is Black at 57.1%. The next largest groups are White (32.7%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Pryce in the 2020 Census, accounting for 57.1% (1,598 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pryce appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (57.1%), White (32.7%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Pryce (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 Pryce mean?
A Welsh toponymic surname derived from the word "pres," meaning brushwood or shrubland. 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 Pryce (0.94 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 common is the surname Pryce?
Find out how many people have the last name Pryce on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.