Explore the Family Name Prim
The meaning of Prim
1. French (mainly Lorraine) and German: from a vernacular form of the Latin personal name Primus, from primus ‘(the) first, (the) best’, borne by several early Christian saints, including the one martyred and venerated together with St. Felicianus. 2. French: nickname from Old French prim ‘first’, possibly given to the eldest child in a family, or alternatively a nickname from Old French and Occitan prim ‘shrewd, clever, artful, sly’. 3. English: variant of Prime. 4. East German: probably from a (Germanized) short form of an Old Slavic personal name beginning with Prim- or Prem-.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Prim in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname 'Prim' saw a slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. The rank of this surname dropped by about 3.47 percent from 14,219 in the year 2000 to 14,713 in the year 2010. However, the count (or total number of people with this surname) increased by approximately 4.29 percent during the same period, from 1,936 to 2,019. This increase indicates a growing number of people bearing the Prim surname even though its rank relatively decreased. The proportion of people with the surname per 100,000 also decreased by 5.56 percent over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #14,219 | #14,713 | -3.47% |
| Count | 1,936 | 2,019 | 4.29% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.72 | 0.68 | -5.56% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Prim
The ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Prim' has seen some changes from 2000 to 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The most common ethnicity associated with the surname remains White, although it slightly decreased by 3.40 percent over the decade. Black ethnicity remained almost stable with a negligible decrease of 0.28 percent. Meanwhile, an increasing trend was observed for Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic identities, which grew by 36.56 percent and 22.22 percent respectively. The percentage of individuals with two or more races declined by 10.50 percent. Interestingly, American Indian and Alaskan Native saw the highest growth rate, albeit from a low base, with an increase of 41.56 percent, indicating an expanding diversity among those carrying the Prim surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 61.78% | 59.68% | -3.4% |
| Black | 28.41% | 28.33% | -0.28% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 4.24% | 5.79% | 36.56% |
| Hispanic | 2.43% | 2.97% | 22.22% |
| Two or More Races | 2.38% | 2.13% | -10.5% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.77% | 1.09% | 41.56% |