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

Trachsel, 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 Trachsel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Trachsel in America

Trachsel is the 37229th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Trachsel surname appeared 599 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 Trachsel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Trachsel 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.

The history of the last name Trachsel

The surname Trachsel is of Swiss-German origin, originating in the German-speaking regions of Switzerland during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old High German word "trahs," meaning "badger," and the suffix "-el," which denotes a diminutive or a nickname.

The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who exhibited characteristics reminiscent of a badger, such as being tenacious, determined, or perhaps even having a resemblance to the animal. Nicknames were common during the Middle Ages and often became hereditary surnames.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Trachsel can be found in the Erlenbach Chronicle, a medieval Swiss manuscript dating back to the 14th century. The chronicle mentions a family named Trachsel residing in the village of Erlenbach, near Zurich.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Trachsel was Hans Trachsel, a Swiss Reformer and theologian (c. 1490-1569). He was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland and worked closely with Huldrych Zwingli.

Another historical figure with the surname Trachsel was Johann Jakob Trachsel (1765-1823), a Swiss painter and engraver known for his landscape paintings and etchings of Swiss scenery.

In the 19th century, Johann Rudolf Trachsel (1823-1891) was a Swiss politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Swiss Federal Council, the executive branch of the Swiss government.

A more recent figure with the surname Trachsel is Daniel Trachsel (born 1972), a former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for teams like the Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Orioles.

While the surname Trachsel is most prevalent in Switzerland, it has also spread to other German-speaking regions and countries due to migration and diaspora. However, its origins can be traced back to the German-speaking areas of Switzerland, where it likely emerged as a descriptive nickname in the Middle Ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Trachsel

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

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 Trachsel was:

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 Trachsel has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Trachsel was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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