Trabue last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Trabue is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Trabue.

Meaning of Trabue

An occupational surname believed to derive from the French word "travail" meaning work or labor.

Trabue, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Trabue surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Trabue in America

Trabue is the 40144th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Trabue surname appeared 546 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Trabue.

We can also compare 2010 data for Trabue to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 40144 38524 4.12%
Count 546 540 1.10%
Proportion per 100k 0.19 0.20 -5.13%

The history of the last name Trabue

The surname TRABUE is believed to have originated in France during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old French verb "travailler," meaning "to work" or "to labor." This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname given to someone who was a hard worker or laborer.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the TRABUE surname can be found in the "Livre des Métiers," a register of trade guilds in Paris, compiled in the 13th century. The name appears as "Trabue," which lends credence to the theory that it was an occupational surname at that time.

As the name spread across France, various spellings emerged, such as "Travabu," "Trabuet," and "Trabuau." These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in spelling and record-keeping during the Middle Ages.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the TRABUE surname was Jacques Trabue, a French author and poet who lived from 1524 to 1585. His works, though not widely known today, provide insight into the literary and cultural landscape of Renaissance France.

The TRABUE name also appears in historical records from other parts of Europe. In the 17th century, Johannes Trabue was a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1640 to 1701. He wrote extensively on topics such as metaphysics and natural philosophy, contributing to the intellectual discourse of his time.

As people bearing the TRABUE surname migrated to different parts of the world, the name continued to evolve. In the late 18th century, a prominent figure named Pierre Trabue was a French military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. He fought alongside the Continental Army and was instrumental in several key battles.

Another notable individual with the TRABUE surname was Elizabeth Trabue, an American author and educator who lived from 1785 to 1854. She was a pioneer in the field of women's education and founded several schools in Kentucky, where she taught for many years.

During the 19th century, the TRABUE name appeared in various regions of the United States, including Kentucky, Indiana, and Missouri. One notable figure from this period was Daniel Trabue, a farmer and businessman who lived from 1801 to 1872 in Missouri. He was involved in the early development of the state's agriculture and commerce.

While the TRABUE surname may not be among the most common in the world today, its rich history spans centuries and continents, reflecting the diverse experiences and contributions of those who have borne this name throughout the ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Trabue

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Trabue.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Trabue was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 64.84% 354
Non-Hispanic Black Only 29.30% 160
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.10% 6
Hispanic Origin 3.85% 21

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Trabue has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 64.84% 67.04% -3.34%
Black 29.30% 30.00% -2.36%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.10% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 3.85% 1.67% 78.99%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Trabue was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Trabue, please contact us.

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Trabue last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on August 13, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/trabue-surname-popularity/.

"Trabue last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/trabue-surname-popularity/. Accessed 13 August, 2025

Trabue last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/trabue-surname-popularity/.

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