Explore the Family Name Provost
The meaning of Provost
1. French: northern and western variant of Prévost (see Prevost) and, in North America, (also) an altered form of this (compare 2 below). 2. English: occupational name from Middle English provost, provest, proust ‘provost, steward, representative’ (Old English prafost), also used for the head of a religious chapter or educational establishment, or, since such officials were usually clergy and celibate, a nickname for a self-important person. History: François Provost from Tourouvre in Orne, France, married Marguerite Gaillard in Quebec City, QC, in 1664. René Provost from Paris, France, married Anne Daudelin in La Pérade, QC, in 1684. — The surname Provost of French origin (see 1 above) is listed in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors (along with the variant Provoost) and also in the similar register of the Huguenot Society of America. Some characteristic forenames: French Armand, Pierre, Andre, Emile, Camille, Lucien, Normand, Alphonse, Cecile, Gilles, Jacques.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Provost in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, in terms of popularity, the surname Provost was ranked 3,840th in 2000 and slid down to 4,062nd place in 2010, marking a decline of 5.78%. Even though its rank fell, the count of people with this surname increased slightly from 8,497 in 2000 to 8,742 in 2010, showing a 2.88% growth. However, the proportion of individuals named Provost per 100,000 people decreased by 6.03%, from 3.15 in 2000 to 2.96 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,840 | #4,062 | -5.78% |
| Count | 8,497 | 8,742 | 2.88% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.15 | 2.96 | -6.03% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Provost
When looking at ethnic identity, data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that the majority of people with the surname Provost identified as White in both 2000 (86.11%) and 2010 (84.20%), although there was a slight decrease of 2.22% over this period. The second largest ethnicity group was Black, growing from 8.93% in 2000 to 9.55% in 2010, marking a 6.94% increase. Notably, individuals identifying as Hispanic showed the most significant change over the decade, increasing by 70.20%, from 1.51% in 2000 to 2.57% in 2010. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, and American Indian and Alaskan Native made up smaller portions of the Provost surname holders, with minor changes observed between 2000 and 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.11% | 84.2% | -2.22% |
| Black | 8.93% | 9.55% | 6.94% |
| Hispanic | 1.51% | 2.57% | 70.2% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.67% | 1.85% | 10.78% |
| Two or More Races | 1.35% | 1.42% | 5.19% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.42% | 0.4% | -4.76% |
Provost 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 Provost is British & Irish, which comprises 43.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (29.4%) and Spanish & Portuguese (5.6%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Nigerian, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 43.9% |
| French & German | 29.4% |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 5.6% |
| Other | 21.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Provost
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 Provost have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 75.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 75.00% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 74.60% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 74.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 74.20% |
What Provost 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 Provost is R-CTS3402, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS3402 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Chrisman, Sanderson, Dudley, Cross, Champion, Andrews, Hurtado, Powell, Kasper, Howell.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Provost surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your maternal lineage may be linked to the nomadic Tuareg of the Sahara
Though haplogroup H1 rarely reaches high frequencies beyond western Europe, over 60% of eastern Tuareg in Libya belong to haplogroup H1. The Tuareg call themselves the Imazghan, meaning “free people.” They are an isolated, semi-nomadic people who inhabit the West-Central Sahara and are known today for a distinctive dark blue turban worn by the men, and for their long history as gatekeepers of the desert.How did women carrying H1 make it all the way from western Europe to this isolated community? They likely migrated from Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco after the Last Ice Age, where they were assimilated into the Berbers of the Mediterranean coast. Then, about 5,000 years ago, the Sahara shifted from a period of relative habitable conditions to its dramatically arid desert environment. This shift may have caused migrations throughout the Sahara, prompting the ancient Tuaregs to meet and mingle with the Berbers, bringing H1 lineages into their population.
What do people with the surname Provost 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.
"Provost" Surname 45.1%
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.
"Provost" Surname 24.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Provost" Surname 23.7%
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.
"Provost" Surname 20.3%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Provost?
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 Provost are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition