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{{Other uses|Prosser (disambiguation){{!}}Prosser}}
''There are two etymologies for the [[surname]]/family name '''Prosser''', one Welsh and one middle European. Both etymologies are more or less equally ancient, going back to early mediaeval times, circa 600-1100 a.d.


'''Prosser''' is an English-language [[surname]], derived from a Welsh-language [[patronym]].
The Welsh [[etymology]] is best known in the [[United States]], because it is the only one listed in dictionaries detailing the meanings and origins of various names. As a result, many Prossers from a Germanic and Northern European background mistakenly believe themselves to be of Welsh extraction. Nevertheless, most Prosser lines in the United States go back to [[Ireland]] and [[Wales]].


==Origin==
'''The Welsh Origin of the Prosser Family Name''': Derived from the Welsh name '''ap'Rosyr''' (that is, “Son of Rosser” which is itself derived from Old Norse '''Rhosier''' which means ''“renown for his sword”'' (or spear) and was [http://www.amlwchhistory.co.uk/data/welshsurnamemeanings.htm first introduced to Wales] via the [[Norman Invasion]], of which the Rhosier clan played no small part.
The [[English-language]] surname ''Prosser'' is considered to be a [[Welsh surname]]. The name originated as an [[Anglicisation]] of the [[Welsh-language]] ''ap Rhosier'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/default.aspx? |title=Learn about the family history of your surname |accessdate=1 October 2011 |work=[[Ancestry.com]] }}. For the surname ''Prosser'', this website cited: {{citation|title=Dictionary of American Family Names |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=0-19-508137-4}}.</ref> or ''ap Rosser'',<ref name="Reaney">{{Citation |last=Reaney |first=Percy Hilde |editor-last=Wilson |editor-first=Richard Middlewood |title=A Dictionary of English Surnames |edition=3rd |year=1995 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=0-19-863146-4 |page=363 }}.</ref> both meaning ''son of Roger''.
'''The Germanic Origin of the Prosser Family Name''': An agricultural occupational name derived from the Latin verb “[[Prospero]]” which, depending on its conjugation, can mean ''“to bring forth or produce by sowing”'' or ''“to stretch forth and extend”'' (meanings taken from ''A Latin Dictionary'' by Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short). The name of the Roman agricultural goddess [[Proserpine]] (or Proserpina) is derived from the same source.


The English-language personal name ''[[Roger]]'' is derived from the [[Old French]] personal name ''Roger'', ''Rogier''. This [[personal name]] is of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ''hrōd'' ("fame") and ''gār'', ''gēr'' ("spear"). The Old French name was adopted by the [[Normans]], and was introduced into Britain by them in the [[Middle Ages]] (replacing the [[Old English]] [[cognate]] ''Hrōðgār''). The name became one of the most popular masculine names in the Middle Ages, and lost popularity afterwards.<ref name="Hanks-233">{{citation |last1=Hanks |first1=Patrick |last2=Hardcastle |authorlink1=Patrick Hanks |first2=Kate |last3=Hodges |first3=Flavia |title=A Dictionary of First Names |edition=2nd |series=Oxford Paperback Reference |year=2006 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-861060-1 |page=233 }}.</ref>
Prossers with this name origin can be found in [[Germany]], especially southern Germany and [[Bavaria]], and other countries historically under German influence, such as [[Austria]], [[Denmark]], [[Hungary]], the [[Czech Republic]], and northern [[Italy]].


Until the Tudor period Welsh names generally took the format X son of Y, or X daughter of Y. The Old Welsh word for son was ''map'', but it [[Literary_Welsh_morphology#Initial_consonant_mutation|lenited]] to ''fap'' (today ''fab''), then ''[[wikt:ap#Welsh|ap]]''. Although some of the Welsh gentry began to adopt the English fashion for hereditary surnames even before the Act of Union between England and Wales in 1536, in general the Act marked the beginning of a gradual shift towards hereditary surnames in Wales that was not complete until the 18th century. In some cases ''ap'' was merged into the following personal name to create an hereditary name. So ''Ap Richard'' became Pritchard, ''ap Even'' became Bevan and ''ap Hugh'' emerged as Pugh. The shift from ''ap Rosser'' to Prosser is of this pattern, though the surname [[Rosser (surname)|Rosser]] also occurs. The distribution of Prosser and Rosser in 1842-46 was strongly centred in south-east Wales, and largely absent from other parts of Wales.<ref>[[David Hey]], ''Family Names and Family History'' (2000), pp. 91-4; T. J. Morgan and Prys Morgan, ''Welsh surnames'' (1985), pp. 13, 178.</ref>


Early examples of the surname include:
==Name Distribution==


* 1529 Richard ap Rosser was a party to two deeds relating to 'a mansion place called the Van' in Senghenydd.<ref>Wiltshire and Swindon Archives 436/16.</ref>
There are various sources for [[Surname maps]] charting the geographic distribution of surnames.
* 1556 Morgan Lewis ap Rosser was a party to a grant of land in Llywell, Co. Brecon.<ref>Powys County Archives B/D/ACA/1/001.</ref>


==Name distribution==
'''England and Wales'''
There are various sources for [[surname maps]] charting the geographic distribution of surnames.


===England and Wales===
[http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/Fact.aspx?&fid=6&ln=prosser A chart at ancestry.com] shows the name’s distribution in England and Wales in 1891.


[[Ancestry.com]]'s distribution map, based on their data from the 1891 England and Wales Census, shows Prossers were strongly present in southeast Wales and the western counties of England. Particularly high concentrations were in the Welsh historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire and the English county of Herefordshire.<ref>Ancestry.com [http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/Fact.aspx?&fid=6&ln=prosser Distribution of prosser Families in England and Wales in 1891] (retrieved 2011-10-12)</ref>
'''Germany'''


===Germany===
[http://www.reamstown.org/gn/gernam.htm Current (2006) surname maps based on telephone records for the name Prosser in Germany] demonstrate that the name is primarily found in southern Germany, with 32.7% of Prossers residing in [[Bavaria]], and 31.4% of Prossers residing in [[Baden-Württemberg]].


German Prossers are primarily found in southern Germany.{{citation needed|date=October 2011}}
'''Italy'''


===Italy===
The concentration of the name in northern Italy is borne out by the [http://gens.labo.net/ Gens Project] established by the University of Genoa. Their distribution maps demonstrate that the highest number of Prossers in Italy is in Italy's northernmost province, Alta Adigo.


The Italian ''Gens'' Project shows there are a small number of Prossers living in Italy. Their distribution map results show that the Prossers are concentrated in the northernmost province, Alto Adige/Südtirol.<ref>Gens.labo.net [http://gens.labo.net/it/cognomi/ Surname map] ''(enter ''Prosser'' in search box for results)''</ref>
'''United States'''


===United States===
Search results from the [http://www.census.gov/genealogy/www/namesearch.html U.S. Census Bureau] reveal that the name Prosser ranks as the 4,085th most common surname in the United States, meaning that about 60 percent of United States surnames are more common than Prosser.


Current distribution maps from the [http://www.gens-us.net/ Gens Project in the United States] based on the 2000 United States census demonstrate that the name is most common in eight states: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, while still numbering less than a thousand individuals in each of those states.
Current distribution maps from the ''Gens'' Project in the United States based on the 2000 US census demonstrate that the name is most common in eight states: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, while still numbering less than a thousand individuals in each of those states.<ref>Gens.labo.net [http://www.gens-us.net/ Search for your surname in the USA] ''(enter ''Prosser'' in search box for results)''</ref>


[http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/Fact.aspx?fid=7&ln=prosser Ancestry.com] has a surname map for the name's distribution according to the United States Census for 1920. At that time, the name Prosser was most common in six states: California, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, with a total of 93-183 Prosser households in each state.
Ancestry.com has a surname map for the name's distribution according to the United States Census for 1920. At that time, the name Prosser was most common in six states: California, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, with a total of 93–183 Prosser households in each state. Using data based on 142 Prosser immigrants to New York, the vast majority departed from Great Britain, while 11 are from Ireland and 21 from Germany.<ref>Ancestry.com [http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/Fact.aspx?&fid=5&ln=prosser top places of origin for the name Prosser] (retrieved 2011-10-12)</ref>


==Notable people with the surname Prosser==
===Other Demographic Information===
* [[Anna Weed Prosser]] (1846–1902), American evangelist; daughter of Erastus S. Prosser
* [[Beverly Prosser Gelwick]] (1932–2023), American psychologist
* [[Bob Prosser]], Welsh rugby union and rugby league player in the 1960s and 1970s
* [[Dai Prosser]] (1912–1973), Welsh rugby union and rugby league player
* [[David Prosser (bishop)]] (1868–1950), Welsh bishop, Archbishop of Wales 1944–49
* [[David Prosser Jr.]] (born 1942), American jurist and politician, former justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
* [[Erastus S. Prosser]] (1809–1887), American politician from New York
* [[Gabriel Prosser]] (1776–1800), rebel slave in 1800 Virginia
* [[Geoff Prosser]] (born 1948), Australian politician
* [[George Henry Prosser]] (1867–1941), Australian businessman and politician
* [[Glyn Prosser]] (1907–1972), Welsh international rugby player
* [[Gwyn Prosser]] (born 1943), British politician
* [[Halley H. Prosser]] (1870–1921), American politician from Michigan
* [[Hugh Prosser]] (1900–1952), American film actor
* [[Ian Prosser]] (born 1943), British businessman
* [[Ian Prosser (florist)]] (born 1957), Scottish born American florist
* [[Inez Beverly Prosser]] (1897–1934), American teacher and school administrator
* [[Joseph Prosser]] (1828–1867), Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross
* [[Julien Prosser]] (born 1972), Australian beach volleyball player
* [[Keith Prosser]], (1897–1954), Bishop of Burnley
* [[Luke Prosser]] (born 1988), English footballer
* [[Margaret Prosser, Baroness Prosser]] (born 1937), British peer and politician
* [[Mrs. Prosser]] (1807–1882), British sentimental Victorian author
* [[Patrick Prosser]] (born 1952), Scottish computer scientist
* [[Ray Prosser]] (1927–2020), Welsh rugby player with Pontypool
* [[Richard Prosser (priest)]] (1748–1839), English priest
* [[Richard Bissell Prosser]] (1838–1918), English patent examiner and biographical writer
* [[Richard Prosser]] (born 1967), New Zealand politician
* [[Roy Prosser]] (1942–2008), Australian Rugby Union player
* [[Seward Prosser]] (1871–1942), American banker and philanthropist
* [[Skip Prosser]] (1950–2007), American college basketball coach
* [[Stuart Prosser]] (1887–1939), Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer
* [[William Prosser, Lord Prosser]] (1934–2015), Scottish judge
* [[William Farrand Prosser]] (1834–1911), American politician
* [[William Henry Prosser]] (1870–1952), Welsh cricketer
* [[William Lloyd Prosser]] (1898–1972), American legal scholar


==See also==
Charts also exist for [http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/Fact.aspx?&fid=5&ln=prosser top places of origin for the name Prosser]; [http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/Fact.aspx?&fid=4&ln=prosser ports of departure for the name Prosser]; and the [http://www.ancestry.com/learn/facts/Fact.aspx?&fid=2&ln=prosser average life expectancy for people with the name Prosser since 1950].
* [[Prodger]]
* [[Prosser (disambiguation)]]
* [[Rosser (disambiguation)]]
* [[Wegg-Prosser]]


==References==
Names of people with the surname Prosser can be found anyware in the mentioned parts of Europe and have very normal forenames such as George, Andrew, Colin or Matthew Prosser
{{reflist}}


{{surname|Prosser}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prosser (Name)}}


[[Category:Surnames of Welsh origin]]
==Prosser as a Word==
[[Category:Anglicised Welsh-language surnames]]

[[Category:Patronymic surnames]]
1. According to the 2003 book ''Popular Culture and Performance in the Victorian City'' by Peter Bailey, in the Victorian age over-insistent demanders of tips were often called “prossers.” (Page 65: “Musicians seem to have suffered most (which may have accounted for their reputation as particularly importunate demanders of tips or ‘prossers’[...])”.)
[[Category:Surnames from given names]]

2. A common misspelling of or abbreviation for processor, as in “word prosser” and “food prosser.”


==Prossers in the Nobility==

While the source of this information is not at hand, the present author has seen references in the past to Counts Prosser in mediaeval Denmark. Anyone who knows of any documented titles of nobility including the name Prosser is encouraged to add this information.


==Eminent Prossers==

* [[Brian Cody Prosser]], military intelligence analyst, a victim of the [[Iraq War]]
* [[David Prosser, Jr.]]
* [[Francis Richard Wegg-Prosser]]
* [[Gabriel Prosser]], rebel slave in 1800 Virginia
* [[Geoff Prosser]]
* [[Gwyn Prosser]]
* [[Ian Prosser (florist)]]
* Sir [[Ian Prosser]], Chairman of the Board of [[Six Continents]] [[PLC]]
* [[John Prosser, Sword Cutler]], by appointment to His Majesty George III
* [[Joseph Prosser]]
* [[Kevin Prosser]]
* [[Mrs. Prosser]], sentimental Victorian author
* [[Richard Prosser]]
* [[Richard Bissell Prosser]]
* [[Seward Prosser]], tycoon, head of Bankers Trust
* [[Skip Prosser]], basketball coach
* [[William Farrand Prosser]], Congressman and founder of Prosser, Washington
* [[William Lloyd Prosser]], 20th-century legal scholar
* [[Scott Prosser]], An all around good guy

==Prossers with another surname==

*[[Prosser Gifford]]. Scholar and educator.
*[[Seward Prosser Mellon]]. Heir to Prosser and Mellon fortunes.


==Prossers in Fiction==

Early 20th Century:

[[P.G. Wodehouse]], ''[[Jeeves]]'' and Wooster novels and stories. Character: [[Oofy Prosser]], an upper-class twit, a millionaire member of the [[Drones Club]]. It may be due to this character that the name is considered upper-middle-class in England (i.e., upper-class in American terms).

1977:

[[Lloyd Pye]], ''That Prosser Kid''. The hero of the book, a college football quarterback, is named Prosser.

1979:

[[Douglas Adams]], ''The Hitchhiker’s Guide To the Galaxy''. Character: Mr. L. Prosser, descendant of [[Genghis Khan]] and motorways contractor hired to level of the house of the book’s hero, Arthur Dent.

1986:

[[Julian Barnes]], ''Staring At the Sun''. Character: Sgt. Thomas Prosser, a fighter in the [[Battle of Britain]] and the love of a young woman, Jean Serjeant.

1953:

[[Richard Wattis]], ''Hobson's Choice''. Character: Albert Prosser.

1969-1970:

[[Eleanor Smale]], ''Dads Army". Character Mrs Prosser, friend of Corporal Jack Jones for 2 episodes

==Prosser Products==

* [[Thomas H. Prosser & Sons]]. Tennis rackets.
* [[Prosser beads]]. In the 19th century, these glass and ceramic beads were created using the technology of a button-making machine invented by a pair of Prosser brothers in [[Bohemia]] in the 1830s. By the 1860s virtually all beads were produced using this method. All Prosser beads include a thin seam. The beads were introduced into the American west and often used as wampum for trade with the [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|American Indians]], who then incorporated the beads into their crafts. As trade beads, they are sometimes also known as Prosser trade beads. In African trade, they are known as "kankanmba" or "kancamba."
* [[Prosser Pumps]]. Prosser submersible pumps are used for "dewatering," in mine situations for example. They are now produced by the Crane Company and the name is trademarked by that company.
* The Prosser Twin-Cylinder Freight Car, created by the Prosser Twin Cylinder Car Company, established in [[Chicago, Illinois]] in the late 1870s.
* The Wonder Shredder and Grater by Dixon Prosser Inc., a food grater produced circa 1931.


==Prosser Institutions==
* [[Charles Allen Prosser Career Academy]], a public secondary school in [[Chicago, Illinois]].


==Prosser Tartan==
There is a Welsh [http://www.scotchcorner.com/mill-text-welsh/rosser.html Tartan] for the names Rosser and Prosser. It is primarily red in color, with green and black as secondary colors.


==Prosser Places==
Prosser Cities:
*[[Prosser, Nebraska]].
*[[Prosser, Washington]].
*[[Prosser Creek, New Brunswick]].

==Prosser Natural Landmarks==
* [[Prosser (name), Natural Landmarks]]

==Prosser Street Names:==
* [http://geocities.com/prosserstreets/ A Web page listing streets named Prosser around the world.]
{{unreferenced|date=October 2006}}


[[Category:Surnames]]

Latest revision as of 13:05, 21 November 2024

For other uses, see Prosser.

Prosser is an English-language surname, derived from a Welsh-language patronym.

Origin

[edit]

The English-language surname Prosser is considered to be a Welsh surname. The name originated as an Anglicisation of the Welsh-language ap Rhosier,[1] or ap Rosser,[2] both meaning son of Roger.

The English-language personal name Roger is derived from the Old French personal name Roger, Rogier. This personal name is of Germanic origin, derived from the elements hrōd ("fame") and gār, gēr ("spear"). The Old French name was adopted by the Normans, and was introduced into Britain by them in the Middle Ages (replacing the Old English cognate Hrōðgār). The name became one of the most popular masculine names in the Middle Ages, and lost popularity afterwards.[3]

Until the Tudor period Welsh names generally took the format X son of Y, or X daughter of Y. The Old Welsh word for son was map, but it lenited to fap (today fab), then ap. Although some of the Welsh gentry began to adopt the English fashion for hereditary surnames even before the Act of Union between England and Wales in 1536, in general the Act marked the beginning of a gradual shift towards hereditary surnames in Wales that was not complete until the 18th century. In some cases ap was merged into the following personal name to create an hereditary name. So Ap Richard became Pritchard, ap Even became Bevan and ap Hugh emerged as Pugh. The shift from ap Rosser to Prosser is of this pattern, though the surname Rosser also occurs. The distribution of Prosser and Rosser in 1842-46 was strongly centred in south-east Wales, and largely absent from other parts of Wales.[4]

Early examples of the surname include:

  • 1529 Richard ap Rosser was a party to two deeds relating to 'a mansion place called the Van' in Senghenydd.[5]
  • 1556 Morgan Lewis ap Rosser was a party to a grant of land in Llywell, Co. Brecon.[6]

Name distribution

[edit]

There are various sources for surname maps charting the geographic distribution of surnames.

England and Wales

[edit]

Ancestry.com's distribution map, based on their data from the 1891 England and Wales Census, shows Prossers were strongly present in southeast Wales and the western counties of England. Particularly high concentrations were in the Welsh historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire and the English county of Herefordshire.[7]

Germany

[edit]

German Prossers are primarily found in southern Germany.[citation needed]

Italy

[edit]

The Italian Gens Project shows there are a small number of Prossers living in Italy. Their distribution map results show that the Prossers are concentrated in the northernmost province, Alto Adige/Südtirol.[8]

United States

[edit]

Current distribution maps from the Gens Project in the United States based on the 2000 US census demonstrate that the name is most common in eight states: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, while still numbering less than a thousand individuals in each of those states.[9]

Ancestry.com has a surname map for the name's distribution according to the United States Census for 1920. At that time, the name Prosser was most common in six states: California, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina, with a total of 93–183 Prosser households in each state. Using data based on 142 Prosser immigrants to New York, the vast majority departed from Great Britain, while 11 are from Ireland and 21 from Germany.[10]

Notable people with the surname Prosser

[edit]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Learn about the family history of your surname". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 1 October 2011.. For the surname Prosser, this website cited: Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4.
  2. ^ Reaney, Percy Hilde (1995), Wilson, Richard Middlewood (ed.), A Dictionary of English Surnames (3rd ed.), Oxford University Press, p. 363, ISBN 0-19-863146-4.
  3. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006), A Dictionary of First Names, Oxford Paperback Reference (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, p. 233, ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1.
  4. ^ David Hey, Family Names and Family History (2000), pp. 91-4; T. J. Morgan and Prys Morgan, Welsh surnames (1985), pp. 13, 178.
  5. ^ Wiltshire and Swindon Archives 436/16.
  6. ^ Powys County Archives B/D/ACA/1/001.
  7. ^ Ancestry.com Distribution of prosser Families in England and Wales in 1891 (retrieved 2011-10-12)
  8. ^ Gens.labo.net Surname map (enter Prosser in search box for results)
  9. ^ Gens.labo.net Search for your surname in the USA (enter Prosser in search box for results)
  10. ^ Ancestry.com top places of origin for the name Prosser (retrieved 2011-10-12)
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