Propst
A surname of uncertain origin, likely a short Germanic form or altered spelling that became established in English-speaking records.
The #7,057 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 65,095 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Propst is usually treated as a Germanic name, but its exact derivation is not secure from the available historical evidence. In German, a related word, Probst, means "provost" or "ecclesiastical administrator," so some families may ultimately descend from that occupational or status term. The spelling Propst may reflect regional pronunciation, dialect, or later anglicized spelling.
History
The name appears in historical surname lists and in American records in forms such as Propst and related spellings like Probst, Prophett, and Propert. In the United States it is most strongly associated with families of German-speaking background, especially in areas of German settlement. The surname is not especially common, but it has remained visible in American family lines through the 19th and 20th centuries.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Propst and Probst can sound very similar in English, the name was often spelled in more than one way within the same family line.
From the historical record
“quer, Bassett, Hazard, Chance, Chauncy, Risk, Monte, Lew, Lewuall, Piquet, Chessman, Chess, Propst, Betton, Better, Betts, Bettencourt, Bid- well, Deal, Deel, Dealey, Sortwell, Sortor, Hap- good, LucKis, LosEY (L. 622, f. 206), Losee, Backer- man, Nicks, Nix, Lotts, Talley, Tallis, Tally, Cue;”
— Suffolk Surnames (3rd ed.)