Tramel
A masculine name possibly derived from French words meaning "rough path" or "pathway".
Name Census estimates that about 520 living Americans carry the first name Tramel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Tramel today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tramel births was 1986 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tramel. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
520
~ 1 in 659,143 Americans
Peak year
1986
24 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2023 SSA rank
#13,995
Tracked since 1971
Popularity
Tramel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tramel from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 136 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tramel by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Tramel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Tramels live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, New York, Michigan recorded the most babies named Tramel, while Michigan, New York, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tramel
The name Tramel has its roots in the French language, originating in the medieval period. It is believed to be a variant of the name Tramelay, which was initially a place name referring to a small village in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France, near the Swiss border. The name Tramelay itself is derived from the Latin words "tramitis" meaning "path" or "route," and "latus" meaning "broad" or "wide."
In its earliest recorded usage, the name Tramel was found in historical records and documents from the 13th and 14th centuries in the regions of Burgundy and Franche-Comté. It was likely a surname bestowed upon individuals who either lived in or hailed from the village of Tramelay. Over time, the name transitioned from a locational surname to a given name, though the exact reasons for this shift are not clearly documented.
One of the earliest known individuals bearing the name Tramel was Tramel de Villiers, a French nobleman and knight who lived in the late 13th century. He was mentioned in chronicles of the time for his participation in the Crusades and his service to the French crown.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Tramel Boucart was a prominent merchant and trader in the city of Dijon, the capital of the Duchy of Burgundy. He was known for his successful business ventures and his involvement in local politics.
During the 16th century, a Franciscan friar named Tramel Dumont gained recognition for his scholarly works on theology and philosophy. He was born in 1523 in the town of Besançon, which was then part of the Franche-Comté region.
In the 18th century, Tramel Deschamps was a renowned French playwright and poet, born in 1716 in Paris. His works were often performed at the Comédie-Française, and he was celebrated for his wit and satire.
Another notable figure was Tramel Lebreton, a French painter and engraver who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was born in 1776 in the town of Rennes and is known for his intricate engravings of historical scenes and landscapes.
While not as common as some other French names, the name Tramel has persisted through the centuries, carrying with it a rich history and cultural significance rooted in the medieval period and the regions of eastern France.
People
Tramel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tramel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Tramel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tramel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 520 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tramel going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 659,143 US residents.
Is Tramel a common name?
We classify Tramel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 535 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tramel most popular?
The single biggest year for Tramel was 1986, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tramel is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tramel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tramel in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.