Explore the Family Name Prairie
The meaning of Prairie
French Canadian: shortened form of Laprairie or a topographic name from French prairie ‘meadow, pasture’. Some characteristic forenames: French Andre, Armand, Marcel.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Prairie in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Prairie experienced a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 29,625th most common surname, but by 2010 it dropped to 30,735th. Despite this decline in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Prairie surname marginally increased from 750 in 2000 to 758 in 2010. However, when considering the proportion per 100,000 people, there was a decrease of 7.14%, indicating that while the absolute number of people with the surname slightly rose, its prevalence relative to other surnames declined.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #29,625 | #30,735 | -3.75% |
| Count | 750 | 758 | 1.07% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.28 | 0.26 | -7.14% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Prairie
When evaluating the ethnicity associated with the Prairie surname according to the Decennial U.S. Census, we see some shifts between 2000 and 2010. The majority of individuals identified as White, with the percentage slightly dropping from 93.60% to 93.01%. Meanwhile, the proportion identifying as Hispanic saw a rise of 27.14%, increasing from 2.80% to 3.56%. There was a decrease among those who identified as having two or more ethnic identities, dropping from 1.87% to 1.45%. Interestingly, 2010 marked the first instance of individuals associating with an Asian/Pacific Islander ethnic identity, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native category became absent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.6% | 93.01% | -0.63% |
| Hispanic | 2.8% | 3.56% | 27.14% |
| Two or More Races | 1.87% | 1.45% | -22.46% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 1.32% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.33% | 0% | 0% |