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

Trancosa, 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 Trancosa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Trancosa in America

Trancosa is the 108734th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Trancosa surname appeared 163 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 Trancosa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Trancosa 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 Trancosa

The surname Trancosa has its origins in Portugal, tracing back to the early 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Portuguese town of Trancoso, located in the northern part of the country. The name itself is thought to stem from the Latin word "transcursus," meaning "passage" or "crossing," suggesting that the town may have been established near a strategic crossing point or travel route.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Trancosa surname can be found in the chronicles of the Portuguese Discoveries, which document the voyages of exploration undertaken by Portuguese navigators during the Age of Discovery. In the year 1487, a certain Afonso Trancosa is mentioned as part of the crew of the ship São Gabriel, which set sail from Lisbon under the command of Bartolomeu Dias, the first European explorer to reach the southern tip of Africa.

During the 16th century, as Portugal's colonial empire expanded, the Trancosa name began to appear in various records and documents related to the settlement and administration of the overseas territories. For example, in 1532, a João Trancosa was appointed as the Captain-General of the Portuguese fortress of Sofala, located in present-day Mozambique.

In the late 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Trancosa surname was Baltasar Trancoso, a Portuguese playwright and poet who lived from 1625 to 1696. His most famous work, "Entremezes," a collection of short plays and interludes, was widely popular in his time and helped to establish him as a prominent figure in the literary circles of the Iberian Peninsula.

Another significant bearer of the Trancosa name was José Trancoso Pereira de Alencastre, a Portuguese military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Portuguese Timor (now East Timor) from 1768 to 1776. His tenure was marked by efforts to consolidate Portuguese control over the region and foster economic development through the promotion of agriculture and trade.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure with the Trancosa surname was Manuel Trancoso de Almeida, a Brazilian lawyer, politician, and abolitionist who played a crucial role in the movement to abolish slavery in Brazil. Born in 1821, he was a vocal advocate for the emancipation of enslaved people and served as a member of the Brazilian Parliament, where he campaigned tirelessly for the passage of the Lei Áurea (Golden Law) in 1888, which finally abolished slavery in the country.

While the Trancosa surname has its roots in Portugal, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly to regions with strong Portuguese colonial ties or significant Portuguese immigrant communities. However, its rich historical legacy remains closely intertwined with the narratives of exploration, settlement, and cultural exchange that characterized Portugal's maritime endeavors during the Age of Discovery and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Trancosa

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

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

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

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