Prior is used as a family name or surname in Ireland, England. It is 5 characters long in length.

Family Name / Last Name: Prior
No. of characters: 5
Origin: Ireland, England
Meaning:

A member of a prior's entourage; one who was the head of a priory, a monastic official next in rank below an abbot; one who played the part of a prior in play or pageant.

Lastname is a variation of Pryor. A member of a prior's entourage; one who was the head of a priory, a monastic official next in rank below an abbot; one who played the part of a prior in play or pageant.

How popular is Prior?

Prior is common in England, United States, Australia, Spain, Canada, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Ireland, Scotland, South Africa, Portugal, New Zealand, Wales, Argentina, Philippines, France, Italy, Vanuatu, Switzerland, Austria, Northern Ireland.

Prior is ranked 13523 on our list.

Despite the fact that the number of Prior bearers increased by 3.56 per cent in 2010 US census to 6787 since 2000, the surname slipped by 228 spots and ranked at 5154. The last name was found in around 2 per hundred thousand population. Please refer to following table for race and ethnicity.

Race 2010 2000
White 87.67 89.41
Black 5.82 5.81
Hispanic or Latino 3.01 2.14
Others 1.97 1.62
Asian and Native Hawaiian
& Other Pacific Islander		 0.8 0.44
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.74 0.58
Prior is quite popular family name mostly used in England while Falkland Islands is ahead in terms of density. Around 41305 people have been found who wears Prior as their family name. Prior is used widely across the globe. More detailed information can be found below:
RankCountryCount
Countries with ten thousands of Prior:
621 England12,346
Countries with thousands of Prior:
4,792 United States9,322
678 Australia5,783
2,221 Spain2,317
2,721 Canada1,888
5,956 Germany1,774
Countries with hundreds of Prior:
9,009 Brazil919
4,497 Mexico880
869 Ireland853
1,230 Scotland638
10,582 South Africa630
1,274 Portugal594
1,666 New Zealand473
841 Wales408
9,603 Argentina375
54,426 Philippines230
44,838 France227
38,932 Italy194
485 Vanuatu157
7,250 Switzerland144
10,554 Austria124
2,315 Northern Ireland101
Countries with low frequency i.e., 50 - 100:
28,061 Netherlands83
7,479 Denmark74
9,401 Sweden74
27,736 Zimbabwe59
Countries with very low frequency i.e., 10 - 50:
160,625 Russia49
6,593 Namibia43
5,748 Singapore43
216,672 Thailand42
17,423 United Arab Emirates36
9,476 Uruguay36
7,685 Qatar31
14,668 Chile29
42,948 Belgium28
353 Gibraltar22
958 Isle of Man19
3,129 Nicaragua18
60,070 Czechia17
74,511 Malaysia16
1,520 Jersey14
6,304 Cuba13
45,106 Israel13
248,185 Nigeria12
1,357 United States Virgin Islands12
Countries with very very low frequency i.e., 6 - 10:
639,611 India10
585 Faroe Islands9
34,002 Finland9
8,568 Paraguay9
8,933 China8
50,907 Norway7
156,558 Poland6
43,431 Venezuela6
Show Full Last Name Distribution

Immigrants to US

From Ireland

Immigrant John Prior from Ireland aboard the Ottowa from Liverpool during the Irish famine. He is registered to be 30 years old when he arrived in USA on May 12, 1846. Maid Rose Prior, Workman Eugene Prior, Rose Prior, Catherine Prior, aged 21, Workman John Prior, 25 years old Ellen Prior, John Prior (35) Immigrant, Immigrant Ann Prior, and 87 other Prior around 40.48% of whom were workman while others worked as spinster and farmer migrated to US.

From Germany

Henry Prior was 24 years old when he migrated to New York on May 16, 1851. He lived in Prussia where he worked as painter and took Post from Bremen. Farmer Adam Prior, Farmer Anna Prior, 19 years old Anna-Elisabeth Prior, Carl Prior, aged 13, Heinrich Prior (17) Farmer, 10 years old Mary Prior, Adam Prior (13) Farmer, Elisabeth Prior, aged 42, and 42 other Prior around 41.67% of whom were farmer while others worked as laborer and servant, merchant migrated to US.

Prior Namesakes

  • Matthew Prior, English poet and diplomat
  • Edward Schroeder Prior, architect
  • Lawson Soulsby, Baron Soulsby of Swaffham Prior, British microbiologist and parasitologist
  • Alex Prior, British composer and conductor
  • Alfredo Prior, painter, writer, performer and musician
  • Arthur Prior, noted logician and philosopher
  • Mark Prior, American professional baseball pitcher and coach
  • Jim Prior, British Conservative politician
  • Edward Gawler Prior, mining engineer and politician in British Columbia
  • Maddy Prior, English folk singer
  • William Wain Prior, Danish 'generalløjtnant' and the Chief of the Royal Danish Army
  • Allan Prior, English television scriptwriter and novelist
  • Matt Prior, former English cricketer
  • Marina Prior, Australian soprano and actress with a career mainly
  • Michael Prior, former Australian rules footballer
  • Spencer Prior, English former footballer
  • Mike Prior, American former professional football player
  • Wayne Prior, former South Australian cricketer
  • Herbert Prior, English silent film actor
  • Albert Prior, former Australian rules footballer

Prior Namesakes

  • Matthew Prior, English poet and diplomat
  • Edward Schroeder Prior, architect
  • Lawson Soulsby, Baron Soulsby of Swaffham Prior, British microbiologist and parasitologist
  • Alex Prior, British composer and conductor
  • Alfredo Prior, painter, writer, performer and musician
  • Arthur Prior, noted logician and philosopher
  • Mark Prior, American professional baseball pitcher and coach
  • Jim Prior, British Conservative politician
  • Edward Gawler Prior, mining engineer and politician in British Columbia
  • Maddy Prior, English folk singer
  • William Wain Prior, Danish 'generalløjtnant' and the Chief of the Royal Danish Army
  • Allan Prior, English television scriptwriter and novelist
  • Matt Prior, former English cricketer
  • Marina Prior, Australian soprano and actress with a career mainly
  • Michael Prior, former Australian rules footballer
  • Spencer Prior, English former footballer
  • Mike Prior, American former professional football player
  • Wayne Prior, former South Australian cricketer
  • Herbert Prior, English silent film actor
  • Albert Prior, former Australian rules footballer

Related Family Names: