2000
#15,099
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,792
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.66
Rare Last name
Traina
An Italian occupational surname derived from the word "trainare" meaning to draw or drag.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,925 Americans carry the last name Traina. That puts it at #16,600 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 178,054 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Traina 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
1.9K
1 in 178,054
Census rank
#16,600
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,679 bearers of the surname Traina in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16600th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Traina, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Traina
The surname Traina originates from the Italian island of Sicily, and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Latin word "traina," meaning "trail" or "path," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived near a prominent trail or pathway.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Traina surname can be found in the Sicilian town of Monreale, where a family bearing this name is mentioned in historical records dating back to the 13th century. The name's longevity in this region suggests that it has been deeply rooted in Sicilian culture for centuries.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Matteo Traina was documented as a prominent landowner and merchant in the city of Palermo. His success and influence likely contributed to the spread and recognition of the Traina name throughout Sicily and beyond.
During the Renaissance period, the Traina surname gained further prominence with the birth of Giovanni Traina (1460-1535), a renowned Sicilian architect and sculptor. His works, including the Church of San Domenico in Palermo, have become iconic examples of the island's rich architectural heritage.
Another significant figure bearing the Traina name was Vincenzo Traina (1730-1806), a celebrated painter from Palermo who is best known for his religious works and portraits. His paintings can be found in various churches and galleries throughout Sicily and Italy.
In more recent history, the Traina surname has been carried by several notable individuals, including the Italian-American film producer and screenwriter, Daniele Traina (born 1954), whose works have received critical acclaim in both Italy and the United States.
While the Traina surname has its roots in Sicily, it has since spread to various parts of Italy and beyond, as families migrated and settled in different regions over the centuries. Despite its geographical dispersion, the name continues to maintain a strong connection to its Sicilian heritage and the rich cultural history of the island.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Traina
Among Census respondents with the surname Traina, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Traina 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 Traina surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 1,495
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 116
- Two or more races2.6% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 13
- Black or African American0.5% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Traina
Traina 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
#15,758
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,850
+58 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 659 places
2020
#16,600
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,679
-171 bearers (-9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Down 842 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,099 | 1,792 | 0.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,758 | 1,850 | 0.63 | +58 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 659 places |
| 2020 | #16,600 | 1,679 | 0.56 | -171 bearers (-9.2%) | Down 842 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 Traina 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 | #15,758 | #16,600 | -5.3% |
| Count | 1,850 | 1,679 | -9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.56 | -10.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Traina bearers went from 1,850 to 1,679 (-9.2% change). The surname moved down 842 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,758 to #16,600.
FAQ
Traina surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Traina?
Name Census estimates that about 1,925 living Americans carry the surname Traina. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 178,054 residents.
How common is Traina?
Traina ranks #16,600 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.56 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 1,679 people with the surname Traina. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,925), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.56 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 Traina.
Has Traina become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Traina went from 1,850 recorded bearers to 1,679. That is a decrease of 171 (-9.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,758 to #16,600.
What does the Census say about the background of Traina?
Among Census respondents with the surname Traina, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Traina in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (1,495 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Traina appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Hispanic (6.9%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Traina (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 Traina mean?
An Italian occupational surname derived from the word "trainare" meaning to draw or drag. 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 Traina (0.56 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 common is the surname Traina?
See how many people have the last name Traina on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.