2000
#2,739
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,098
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.48
Uncommon Last name
Trammell
An English occupational surname for a maker of barricades or restraining devices.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,904 Americans carry the last name Trammell. That puts it at #2,895 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,651 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Trammell 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
14K
1 in 24,651
Census rank
#2,895
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,125 bearers of the surname Trammell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2895th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Trammell, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.2%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Trammell
The surname Trammell is an English surname derived from the Old English word "trymman," which means "to make firm or trim." It originated in the early Middle Ages and was initially an occupational name given to those who worked in the building trade, particularly those who were responsible for trimming and finishing wooden structures.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Trammell can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of England, including Essex, Hertfordshire, and Buckinghamshire. It appeared in historical records such as the Hundred Rolls and the Subsidy Rolls, where individuals were often identified by their occupation or place of residence.
In the 14th century, the surname Trammell was found in the Cambridgeshire Subsidy Rolls, where a John Trammel was listed as a taxpayer. This early record suggests that the name had already gained some prominence in the region by that time.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Trammell surname appeared in various parish records and historical documents across England. Notable individuals bearing this surname include William Trammell, who was born in Hertfordshire in 1592, and Thomas Trammell, a merchant from London born in 1624.
In the late 17th century, the Trammell surname made its way across the Atlantic as English settlers sought new opportunities in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was that of John Trammell, who arrived in Virginia in 1635.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Trammell. One of the most famous was Park Trammell (1876-1936), an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Florida from 1917 to 1936. Another notable figure was William Trammell (1898-1979), an American actor and film producer who appeared in numerous movies during the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Other notable individuals with the surname Trammell include Robert Trammell (1916-1998), an American baseball player who spent most of his career with the Detroit Tigers, and Clair Trammell (1887-1969), an American businessman and politician who served as the 32nd Governor of Arkansas from 1939 to 1941.
In more recent times, the Trammell surname has continued to be prevalent, particularly in the United States, where many descendants of the early English settlers still carry the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Trammell
Among Census respondents with the surname Trammell, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.2%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Trammell 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 Trammell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.8% · 8,218
- Black or African American22.2% · 2,694
- Two or more races5.2% · 636
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 406
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 111
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 60
Timeline
Historical Census data for Trammell
Trammell 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
#2,867
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,582
+484 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 4.27
Rank movement Down 128 places
2020
#2,895
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,125
-457 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 4.06
Rank movement Down 28 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,739 | 12,098 | 4.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,867 | 12,582 | 4.27 | +484 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 128 places |
| 2020 | #2,895 | 12,125 | 4.06 | -457 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 28 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 Trammell 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 | #2,867 | #2,895 | -1.0% |
| Count | 12,582 | 12,125 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 4.27 | 4.06 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Trammell bearers went from 12,582 to 12,125 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 28 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,867 to #2,895.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Trammell
FAQ
Trammell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Trammell?
Name Census estimates that about 13,904 living Americans carry the surname Trammell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,651 residents.
How common is Trammell?
Trammell ranks #2,895 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,125 people with the surname Trammell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,904), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Trammell.
Has Trammell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Trammell went from 12,582 recorded bearers to 12,125. That is a decrease of 457 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,867 to #2,895.
What does the Census say about the background of Trammell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Trammell, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.2%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Trammell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.8% (8,218 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Trammell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.8%), Black (22.2%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Trammell (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 Trammell mean?
An English occupational surname for a maker of barricades or restraining devices. 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 Trammell (4.06 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 people share the surname Trammell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.