2000
#9,387
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,183
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.18
Rare Last name
Trader
An occupational surname referring to someone who trades goods or engages in commerce.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,748 Americans carry the last name Trader. That puts it at #9,515 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 91,450 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Trader surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, 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
3.7K
1 in 91,450
Census rank
#9,515
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,268 bearers of the surname Trader in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9515th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Trader, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.4%. The next largest groups are Black (17.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Trader
The surname Trader is an English occupational name derived from the Old English "trada" meaning "trader" or "merchant." It originated in England in the late 12th century, referring to individuals engaged in the buying and selling of goods.
The earliest known record of the name Trader dates back to the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1191, where a Robert le Trader is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already well-established by the late 12th century in the county of Gloucestershire.
The Trader surname is also found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a John le Tradere, indicating the name's presence in that region during the 13th century. The variation in spelling, Tradere, highlights the fluidity of surnames during that period.
In the 14th century, the name appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327, recording a William le Traddere. This spelling variation further demonstrates the inconsistencies in surname spellings before they became standardized.
One notable bearer of the Trader surname was John Trader, a merchant from London who was mentioned in the Patent Rolls of 1397. He was granted permission to export goods from the Port of London, indicating his involvement in international trade during the late medieval period.
Another early record is found in the Feet of Fines for Essex from 1444, which mentions a Robert Trader. This suggests that the surname had spread to various parts of England by the 15th century.
The Trader surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Trader's Gate in Gloucestershire and Trader's Field in Oxfordshire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the Trader surname who lived or owned property in those areas.
Among the notable individuals with the Trader surname throughout history are:
1. William Trader (1547-1618), an English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers in London.
2. Thomas Trader (1610-1668), an English colonist who settled in Virginia in the mid-17th century and became a prominent landowner.
3. John Trader (1672-1737), an English botanist and horticulturist who contributed to the development of several new plant varieties.
4. Sarah Trader (1793-1856), an English author and poet known for her nature-inspired works.
5. Henry Trader (1821-1891), a British explorer and naturalist who documented the flora and fauna of various regions in Africa and Asia.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and achievements of individuals bearing the Trader surname throughout history, reflecting its occupational origins and the widespread presence of traders and merchants in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Trader
Among Census respondents with the surname Trader, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.4%. The next largest groups are Black (17.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Trader bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 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.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
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 Trader surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.4% · 2,431
- Black or African American17.2% · 562
- Two or more races4.1% · 133
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 114
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Trader
Trader appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,525
+342 bearers (+10.7%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Up 151 places
2020
#9,515
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,268
-257 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 279 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,387 | 3,183 | 1.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,236 | 3,525 | 1.19 | +342 bearers (+10.7%) | Up 151 places |
| 2020 | #9,515 | 3,268 | 1.09 | -257 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 279 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Trader surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,236 | #9,515 | -3.0% |
| Count | 3,525 | 3,268 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 1.09 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Trader bearers went from 3,525 to 3,268 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 279 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,236 to #9,515.
FAQ
Trader surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Trader?
Name Census estimates that about 3,748 living Americans carry the surname Trader. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 91,450 residents.
How common is Trader?
Trader ranks #9,515 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,268 people with the surname Trader. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,748), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Trader.
Has Trader become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Trader went from 3,525 recorded bearers to 3,268. That is a decrease of 257 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,236 to #9,515.
What does the Census say about the background of Trader?
Among Census respondents with the surname Trader, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.4%. The next largest groups are Black (17.2%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Trader in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.4% (2,431 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Trader appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.4%), Black (17.2%), Two or More Races (4.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Trader (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Trader mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who trades goods or engages in commerce. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Trader (1.09 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Trader?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.