Profit History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

When Profit was first used as a surname among the ancient Scottish people, it was a name for a person who played the part of a prophet in a medieval pageant. However, another source claims "this name owes its origin to an ancestor who had enacted such a part in mediaeval pageant. and the suggestion is not unlikely." 1

Early Origins of the Profit family

The surname Profit was first found in Aberdeenshire (Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain), a historic county, and present day Council Area of Aberdeen, located in the Grampian region of northeastern Scotland.

One of the first records of the family was William Propheta who was charter witness in Aberdeen in 1281. Later, John Profite was admitted burgess of the same burgh in 1440. A few years later, Thom Propheit appears as "mair of the quarter of Brechin" and sheriff-depute of Forfar in 1473. 1

Early History of the Profit family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Profit research. Another 31 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1450, 1467, 1470 and 1552 are included under the topic Early Profit History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Profit Spelling Variations

The arts of spelling and translation were yet in their infancies when surnames began, so there are an enormous number of spelling variations of the names in early Scottish records. This is a particular problem with Scottish names because of the numerous times a name might have been loosely translated to English from Gaelic and back. Profit has been spelled Proffit, Profat, Profet, Profett, Profit, Prophat, Prophet and many more.

Early Notables of the Profit family

Another 31 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Profit Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Profit Ranking

In the United States, the name Profit is the 9,647^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 2

Profit migration to the United States +

This oppression forced many Scots to leave their homelands. Most of these chose North America as their destination. Although the journey left many sick and poor, these immigrants were welcomed the hardy with great opportunity. Many of these settlers stood up for their newfound freedom in the American War of Independence. More recently, Scots abroad have recovered much of their collective heritage through highland games and other patriotic functions and groups. An examination of passenger and immigration lists has located various settlers bearing the name Profit:

Profit Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Jonas Profit, sailor wwho arrived in Jamestown, Virginia aboard the ship "Discovery" in 1607

Profit Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. Benjamin Johns Profit, (b. 1877), aged 27, Cornish fisherman, from St Austelll, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "New York"arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 21st August 1904 en route to Vassar, Michigan, USA 3
Mr. James Profit, (b. 1839), aged 65, Cornish farmer, from St Austelll, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "New York"arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 21st August 1904 en route to Michigan, USA 3
Mr. John Profit, (b. 1848), aged 56, Cornish farmer, from St Austelll, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "New York"arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 21st August 1904 en route to Michigan, USA 3
Rafael Profit, aged 40, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Esperanza" from Havana, Cuba 4
Johan Profit, aged 22, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Zulia" from Maracaibo 4
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Profit (post 1700) +

Bronta Laron Profit (b. 1977), American professional basketball coach and former player
Joe Profit (b. 1949), former American NFL football running back who played from 1971 to 1974
Richard "Rich" Profit (b. 1974), English mountaineer, sailor, former British Army officer and polar adventurer who took part in the 2007 Polar Race

Citations +

Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result