Tracy
An occupational surname referring to a person who harvests or processes thatch for roofing.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 34,721 Americans carry the last name Tracy. That puts it at #1,180 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,872 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tracy surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
35K
1 in 9,872
Census rank
#1,180
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
30K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 29,867 bearers of the surname Tracy in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1180th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tracy, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Black (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tracy
The surname Tracy is of Norman French origin, deriving from the French town of Trassé in Normandy. It first emerged in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many Norman families settled in various regions of the country.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Traci" and "Tracey". These entries likely refer to individuals who hailed from the town of Trassé or its surrounding areas.
In the 12th century, the name was often spelled as "Tracey" or "Tracye". During this period, it was particularly prevalent in the counties of Gloucestershire and Somerset, where several notable families bore this surname.
One of the most prominent figures bearing the Tracy name was William de Tracy, a Norman knight who was one of the four assassins of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1170. This event garnered significant historical attention and cemented the Tracy name in the annals of English history.
In the 13th century, the name also took on the form "Tracy" or "Tracy", reflecting the evolving spelling conventions of the time. One notable bearer of this variant was Henry de Tracy, who served as Lord Chancellor of England from 1265 to 1267.
During the late Middle Ages, the Tracy family established themselves as landed gentry in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, Somerset, and Devonshire. The town of Toddington in Gloucestershire was once the seat of the ancient Tracy family, and the nearby village of Tracy derived its name from them.
Other notable individuals with the surname Tracy include:
1. Ursula Tracy (c. 1555-1609), an English noblewoman and Catholic recusant.
2. Sir John Tracy (1557-1637), an English politician and landowner.
3. Robert Tracy (1655-1735), an English philosopher and Anglican priest.
4. Nathaniel Tracy (1751-1796), an American military officer who served in the Revolutionary War.
5. Benjamin Franklin Tracy (1830-1915), an American lawyer and politician who served as Secretary of the Navy under President Benjamin Harrison.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tracy
Among Census respondents with the surname Tracy, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Black (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Tracy bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Tracy surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0%
- Black or African American2.8%
- Hispanic or Latino2.5%
- Two or more races1.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Tracy surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,180 | #1,180 | 0.0% |
| Count | 29,867 | 29,867 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 10.13 | 10.13 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Tracy bearers went from 29,867 to 29,867 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #1,180 to #1,180.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Tracy
FAQ
Tracy surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Tracy?
The surname Tracy holds position #1,180 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 34,721 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 10.13 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Tracy surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tracy, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Black (2.8%) and Hispanic (2.5%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.