2000
#119,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Trappier
A French surname originating as an occupational name for a fur trapper.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 189 Americans carry the last name Trappier. That puts it at #113,026 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,813,515 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Trappier 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
189
1 in 1,813,515
Census rank
#113,026
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
165
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 165 bearers of the surname Trappier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 113026th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Trappier, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.2%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Trappier
The surname TRAPPIER is of French origin, derived from the occupational name "trappier," which refers to a maker of traps or snares used for hunting or trapping animals. This name can be traced back to the Middle Ages in France, where hunting and trapping were common practices among the nobility and peasants alike.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name TRAPPIER can be found in the 14th century, in the records of the city of Paris. A certain Jean TRAPPIER was mentioned as a resident of the city in the year 1375. This suggests that the name had already been established in France by that time.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the TRAPPIER name appeared in various regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and Burgundy. These areas were known for their rich hunting traditions, which may have contributed to the prevalence of the TRAPPIER name among those involved in the trapping trade.
In the late 17th century, a notable figure with the surname TRAPPIER was Jacques TRAPPIER, a skilled hunter and trapper who lived in the village of Auxerre in Burgundy. He was renowned for his expertise in crafting intricate traps and snares, and his techniques were passed down through generations of TRAPPIER families in the region.
Another significant figure was Pierre TRAPPIER, born in 1732 in Rouen, Normandy. He was a renowned furrier and trapper who supplied furs to the French nobility and even the royal court. His business thrived, and the TRAPPIER name became synonymous with quality furs and expert trapping in Normandy.
In the 19th century, the TRAPPIER name gained prominence in the world of literature with the French writer and poet, Émile TRAPPIER (1818-1892). Born in Paris, he was known for his vivid descriptions of rural life and the natural world, likely influenced by his family's history in the trapping and hunting trades.
As the centuries passed, the TRAPPIER name spread beyond France to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas, carried by French immigrants and settlers. While the occupational connection to trapping may have faded over time, the name remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage and traditions of France.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Trappier
Among Census respondents with the surname Trappier, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.2%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Trappier 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 Trappier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American93.9% · 155
- White4.2% · 7
- Two or more races1.2% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Trappier
Trappier 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
#117,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 148
+14 bearers (+10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 2,164 places
2020
#113,026
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 165
+17 bearers (+11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 4,454 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #119,644 | 134 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #117,480 | 148 | 0.05 | +14 bearers (+10.4%) | Up 2,164 places |
| 2020 | #113,026 | 165 | 0.06 | +17 bearers (+11.5%) | Up 4,454 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 Trappier 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 | #117,480 | #113,026 | 3.8% |
| Count | 148 | 165 | 11.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.06 | 10.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Trappier bearers went from 148 to 165 (+11.5% change). The surname moved up 4,454 positions in the national ranking, going from #117,480 to #113,026.
FAQ
Trappier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Trappier?
Name Census estimates that about 189 living Americans carry the surname Trappier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,813,515 residents.
How common is Trappier?
Trappier ranks #113,026 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 165 people with the surname Trappier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (189), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Trappier.
Has Trappier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Trappier went from 148 recorded bearers to 165. That is an increase of 17 (+11.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #117,480 to #113,026.
What does the Census say about the background of Trappier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Trappier, the largest self-reported group is Black at 93.9%. The next largest groups are White (4.2%) and Two or More Races (1.2%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Trappier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (155 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Trappier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (93.9%), White (4.2%), Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Trappier (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 Trappier mean?
A French surname originating as an occupational name for a fur trapper. 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 Trappier (0.06 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 are called Trappier?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Trappier, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.