Meaning and origin
The last name Prater is of English and German origin. In England, it is derived from the Middle English word "prater," meaning a chatterer or prankster, indicating that the original bearer may have had a talkative or playful personality. Alternatively, the name could also have originated from the German word "prater," meaning a meadow or field, suggesting that the name might have been given to someone living near or working in a meadow. Further research into specific family lineages and historical records could provide additional insights into the origins and variations of the Prater surname.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
Similar spellings
#1,839
Prater was the 1,839th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 19,484 people, about 6.3 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Surnames like Prater
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Prater is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.