The Proffitt surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 9,202 people carried this name — #3,847 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 32,100 people counted. About the same as in 2000 (9,223).

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What the name means

The meaning of the Proffitt surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a nickname: ‘the prophet’.

An early record he cites: Ricardus Profet, 1379 — Poll Tax, West Riding of Yorkshire.

His entry covers Prophet, Proffitt and Prophett.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 624 · public domain.

In print

Proffitt in American newspapers,
1890–1912.

Newspaper page from Decorah Public Opinion carrying the name Proffitt
Decorah Public Opinion 1912-03-13
Newspaper page from The Middlesborough News carrying the name Proffitt
The Middlesborough News 1890-10-02
Newspaper page from Mountain Advocate carrying the name Proffitt
Mountain Advocate 1905-11-03

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 3,897 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Proffitt in Australian newspapers,
1890s–1970s.

125 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Proffitt. The most, 39, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Western Australia, at 5.8 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Western Australia 64
New South Wales 19
Queensland 15
Victoria 15
Tasmania 8
ACT (Canberra) 2
South Australia 2

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Proffitt.

Who carried it

People named Proffitt,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Cy Proffitt
    Cy Proffitt 1911–1996 · basketball player
  • Frank Proffitt
    Frank Proffitt 1913–1965 · singer-songwriter
  • Mary Higgins Proffitt d. 1965 · writer
  • Maris Marion Proffitt 1876– · writer
  • Rholla Laurence Proffitt 1890–1962 · writer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 8 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Proffitt,
in the records of 5 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States452 records

452 records of the Proffitt name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 324
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 101
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 12
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 6
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 4
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 4
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Hathus R. Proffitt

    Born 1918 in Kentucky. Enlisted 1942 at Camp Blanding, Florida; driver. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1989, buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Indianapolis, Indiana.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Margaret Proffitt

    Arrived at New York in 1884 aboard the Wisconsin from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 42. From England.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. A U.S. Army record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864
    Example: U.S. burial record, 1864
    Burial record Richard W. Proffitt

    U.S. Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War. Born 1952, died 1986; buried at Fort Richardson National Cemetery, Alaska.

    U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 452 records for Proffitt in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Record of death and interment, Camp Nelson, Kentucky, 1864, U.S. National Archives (public domain).

Australia17 records

17 records of the Proffitt name in Australia
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 9
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 4
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 3
  • Tasmanian Names Index 1
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record George Proffitt

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Joseph Somes, sailing from London in 1846. Native of Lichfield, Staffordshire.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Harry E. Proffitt

    Arrived in Queensland in 1885 aboard the New Guinea, aged 17.

    Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Philip Charles Proffitt

    Gentleman of Dulverton, Somerset, England; died 1984.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 17 records for Proffitt in Australia.

Counts: Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

New Zealand12 records

12 records of the Proffitt name in New Zealand
  • Waimakariri District cemetery records, Canterbury 5
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 3
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 2
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Reginald Charles Proffitt

    Died 1952, aged 34; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Rema Kate Proffitt

    Died 1991, aged 68; buried at Fairhall Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Algernon Robert Proffitt

    Died 1989; ashes interred at Oxford Cemetery, Canterbury.

    Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 12 records for Proffitt in New Zealand.

Counts: Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Canada3 records

3 records of the Proffitt name in Canada Nova Scotia Archives name indexes
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Daniel Proffitt

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the Concord, bound for Port Mattoon, aged 23.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Sibe Proffitt

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the Concord, bound for Port Mattoon, aged 32.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record William Daniel Proffitt

    Died 1973 in East Green Harbour, Shelburne, Nova Scotia, aged 67.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

United Kingdom3 records

3 records of the Proffitt name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record T. D. Proffitt

    Labour Corps. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  2. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record B. J. Proffitt

    Yorkshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record F. Proffitt

    Royal Fusiliers. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Proffitt.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Proffitt is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Proffitt volume
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