Proffitt
A nickname surname from “the prophet,” originally given to someone thought to have a prophetic or foretelling turn of mind.
The #3,847 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 33,552 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Proffitt is best explained as a nickname from Middle English and Anglo-French forms meaning “prophet.” The historical dictionaries point to Old French prophete, ultimately from Latin propheta and Greek prophētēs, “one who speaks forth” or “one who foretells.” In this surname, the spelling has been reshaped over time, but the sense remains tied to a person credited with prophetic speech or insight.
History
Nineteenth- and early twentieth-century surname dictionaries group Proffitt with variants such as Prophet, Prophett, and Profit. The form appears to be one of several English surname spellings that developed from the same nickname base, with regional and scribal variation producing the modern family-name forms. It is not a common surname today, but it remains established in England and in English-speaking countries through later migration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same root that lies behind Proffitt also produced the everyday English word “prophet,” so the surname is a reminder that many family names began as colorful nicknames.
From the historical record
“Ro(d)ger, q.v. [Wei. ap, son] PROFFITT PROFIT "I (A.-Fr.-Lat.-Gr.) Prophet (a J nickname) lO.Fv.'prophete, Lat. propheta, Gr. irpo^^T/s] PROPERT, ^ var. of Probert, q.v. '”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)