History of your Surname
Get access to Prost family records.Start a free trial

Prost Family History

Prost Name Meaning

Dutch: variant and possibly also an Americanized form of Proost from Middle Dutch proo(f)st ‘provost’ an occupational name 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. French: shortened form of Provost 1 ‘provost’ a cognate of German: shortened form of Probst ‘provost’ a cognate of German (of Slavic origin) and Jewish (from Poland): nickname from Polish prosty ‘simple common’.

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


Similar surnames: Probst, Proft, Drost, Prast, Post, Rost, Trost, Brost, Pfost, Frost

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

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Prost family from?

You can see how Prost families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Prost family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Prost families were found in USA in 1920. In 1840 there were 2 Prost families living in New York. This was 100% of all the recorded Prost's in USA. New York had the highest population of Prost families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Prost surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
  • 1840
  • 1880
  • 1920
Mapbox
© Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

What did your Prost ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Prost. 16% of Prost men worked as a Laborer and 15% of Prost women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Prost were Machinist and Proprietor. .

View Census Data for Prost | 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
    16%
  • Salesman
    14%
  • Farmer
    14%
  • Machinist
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Stenographer
    15%
  • Secretary
    15%
  • Shoe Worker
    15%
  • Proprietor
    12%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Prost family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Prost. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Prost census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search US census records for Prost

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Prost. 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 Prost immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 1,000 military records available for the last name Prost. For the veterans among your Prost ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Prost military records

You've only scratched the surface of Prost family history

Discover More

What is the average Prost lifespan?

Between 1951 and 2004, in the United States, Prost life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1959, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Prost in 1951 was 52, and 62 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Prost

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Prost family tree

Explore Your Tree

Browse profiles of historical people with the Prost last name

Search for another surname
Enter last name/surname
Start a 14-Day Free Trial