Explore the Family Name Prayer
The meaning of Prayer
1. English: rare variant of Prior. In the US, it is found mainly among African Americans. 2. German: variant of Preyer or Breyer ‘brewer’. This surname is very rare in Germany. 3. French (southern): from Old French praier, an occupational name for a worker responsible for the maintenance of meadows.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Prayer in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Prayer has experienced a slight decrease in popularity over the years. In 2000, it was ranked 63,450th but by 2010, it had dropped to the 64,721st position, marking a 2% decline. Despite this fall in rank, the actual count of individuals with the surname Prayer increased from 294 in 2000 to 307 in 2010, a rise of 4.42%. However, the proportion of people with this surname per 100,000 individuals slightly decreased by 9.09% from 0.11 to 0.1 during the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #63,450 | #64,721 | -2% |
| Count | 294 | 307 | 4.42% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.11 | 0.1 | -9.09% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Prayer
Regarding ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data indicates some notable shifts among individuals with the surname Prayer. The percentage of those identifying as Black remained largely stable, decreasing only slightly from 85.37% in 2000 to 84.04% in 2010. There was a significant increase in those identifying as having two or more races, from 1.7% in 2000 to 4.89% in 2010, a jump of 187.65%. Those identifying as White decreased from 12.59% to 8.14%, a drop of 35.35%. Meanwhile, there were no reported instances of those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year. Lastly, the Hispanic identity made an appearance in 2010 at 2.93%, having not been recorded in 2000.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 85.37% | 84.04% | -1.56% |
| White | 12.59% | 8.14% | -35.35% |
| Two or More Races | 1.7% | 4.89% | 187.65% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 2.93% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |