Show ContentsPropst History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished surname Propst is German in origin. It is derived from the Low German "pravest" meaning "provost," and is used to designate someone in charge.

Early Origins of the Propst family

The surname Propst was first found in Austria, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. Chronicles of Kromau in 1379 mention one "Hansen, known as Probstel, head-prior of the cloisters." From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.

Early History of the Propst family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Propst research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1745 and 1746 are included under the topic Early Propst History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Propst Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Probst, Proebstl (Bavaria), Prahst, Proebsting (Westfalia), Proebster, Probste, Probsst, Probsste and many more.

Early Notables of the Propst family

Another 42 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Propst Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Propst Ranking

In the United States, the name Propst is the 5,147th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1


Propst migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Propst Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Propst, who arrived in North Carolina in 1748 2
  • Valentine Propst, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1761 2
  • Michael Propst, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1761 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Propst (post 1700) +

  • William J. Propst, American politician, Mayor of Columbus, Mississippi, 1954-56 3
  • Shelton D. Propst, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Kansas, 1956, 1960 3
  • James M. Propst, American Democratic Party politician, Indiana State Auditor, 1948-50 3
  • J. A. Propst, American Republican politician, Member of North Carolina State House of Representatives from Catawba County, 1921-22 3
  • John Propst Blane (b. 1929), American politician, U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda, 1982-85; Chad, 1985-88 4


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 9) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, December 1) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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