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Proft Family History

Proft Name Meaning

German: shortened form of Profet a nickname for a soothsayer from Middle High German Middle Low German prophēte proft ‘prophet seer’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Prost, Prast, Propp, Rost, Post, Pott, Port, Polt, Drott, Brott

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Proft family from?

You can see how Proft families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Proft family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Proft families were found in USA in 1920. In 1840 there was 1 Proft family living in Pennsylvania. This was 100% of all the recorded Proft's in USA. Pennsylvania had the highest population of Proft families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Proft surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Proft ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Laundress were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Proft. 28% of Proft men worked as a Laborer and 34% of Proft women worked as a Laundress. Some less common occupations for Americans named Proft were Truck Driver and Maid. .

View Census Data for Proft | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    28%
  • Farmer
    20%
  • Farming
    16%
  • Truck Driver
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Laundress
    34%
  • Stenographer
    34%
  • Maid
    34%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Proft family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Proft. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Proft census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Proft

Passenger Lists

There are 258 immigration records available for the last name Proft. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Proft immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 673 military records available for the last name Proft. For the veterans among your Proft ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Proft military records

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What is the average Proft lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2004, in the United States, Proft life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1986, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Proft in 1962 was 45, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Proft

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Proft family tree

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