Explore the Family Name Pranger
The meaning of Pranger
1. Dutch and North German: nickname for a brawler, from an agent derivative of Middle Dutch, Middle Low German prangen ‘to fight’. 2. German: nickname for an ostentatious or boastful person, from Middle High German brangen ‘to flaunt, to brag’. 3. German: topographic name from Middle High German pranger, branger ‘stake, pillory’. 4. Altered form of South German Pfranger or Pfränger, agent derivatives of Pfrange (see Prange 2) meaning ‘narrows’. In some instances this may have been a nickname for a narrow-minded person, from the same word in an abstract sense.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Pranger in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Pranger has seen a slight decrease between 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the surname ranked 25098 in the United States and by 2010 it had slipped to the 26189 position, marking a decline of 4.35%. Despite this, the actual count of individuals with the Pranger surname grew marginally from 927 to 934 over the decade, representing a slight increase of 0.76%. However, when scaled to the proportion per 100k people, there was a decrease of 5.88%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #25,098 | #26,189 | -4.35% |
| Count | 927 | 934 | 0.76% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.34 | 0.32 | -5.88% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pranger
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the surname Pranger, data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some changes between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by 9.26%, while those identifying as having two or more races saw a rise of 15.12%. There was also an increase in the Hispanic category, which rose by 16.53%. However, the majority of individuals with the Pranger surname identified as White, though this group experienced a slight decrease of 1.89% over the decade. Notably, there were no respondents identifying as Black or American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2000, but by 2010 these categories accounted for 0.75% and 0.86% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.74% | 91.97% | -1.89% |
| Hispanic | 2.48% | 2.89% | 16.53% |
| Two or More Races | 2.05% | 2.36% | 15.12% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.08% | 1.18% | 9.26% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0.86% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0.75% | 0% |