Explore the Family Name Prater
The meaning of Prater
1. English (southern): nickname from Middle English prater ‘chatterer’. 2. English (southern): occupational name for a reeve, the chief magistrate or bailiff of a district, from Middle English preto(u)r, borrowed from Latin praetor. 3. Dutch: occupational name for a warden of meadows or a gamekeeper, from Middle Dutch prater, preter (from Latin pratarius, a derivative of pratum ‘meadow’). 4. Dutch and North German: nickname for an excessively talkative person, from Middle Low German praten ‘to talk or prattle’. 5. German: variant of Brater (see Brader 2).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Prater in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Prater saw a rise in its popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 1769th most popular surname, but by 2010, it moved up to the 1839th spot, reflecting a change of -3.96%. The number of individuals carrying the Prater surname increased by approximately 5% over this decade, from 18,565 in 2000 to 19,484 in 2010. Despite this increase in absolute count, the proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 decreased slightly from 6.88 to 6.61, marking a -3.92% change.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,769 | #1,839 | -3.96% |
| Count | 18,565 | 19,484 | 4.95% |
| Proportion per 100k | 6.88 | 6.61 | -3.92% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Prater
In terms of ethnic identity, the Prater surname showed some variation between 2000 and 2010, according to Decennial U.S. Census data. There was an increase in representation among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (0.30% to 0.41%), two or more races (1.48% to 1.99%), Hispanic (1.28% to 1.86%), and Black (13.02% to 13.76%). On the other hand, there was a slight decrease in representation among those identifying as White (83.13% to 81.20%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (0.80% to 0.78%).
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 83.13% | 81.2% | -2.32% |
| Black | 13.02% | 13.76% | 5.68% |
| Two or More Races | 1.48% | 1.99% | 34.46% |
| Hispanic | 1.28% | 1.86% | 45.31% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.8% | 0.78% | -2.5% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.3% | 0.41% | 36.67% |
Prater ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Prater is British & Irish, which comprises 58.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.3%) and Scandinavian (3.4%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Nigerian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 58.9% |
| French & German | 23.3% |
| Scandinavian | 3.4% |
| Other | 14.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Prater
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Prater have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.80% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.50% |
What Prater haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Prater is E-M78, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup E-M78 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include E-Z1902 and E-V12, which are predominantly found among people with European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Prather, Fullerton, Roche, Negrete, Peeples, Londono, Kratz, Roach, Maggio, Marte.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Prater surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Prater have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Prater" Surname 39.1%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Prater" Surname 30.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Prater" Surname 23.1%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Prater" Surname 21.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Prater?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Prater are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition