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

Trau, 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 Trau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Trau in America

Trau is the 96368th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Trau surname appeared 189 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 Trau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Trau 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 Trau

The surname TRAU originated in Germany and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "trou," which means "faithful" or "trustworthy." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname or descriptor for someone who was considered reliable and honest.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name TRAU appears in the Codex Traditionum Monasterii Sanpetrini, a 12th-century manuscript from the Benedictine monastery of St. Peter in Salzburg, Austria. In this document, a certain "Trovo" is mentioned as a landowner in the region.

In the 13th century, the name TRAU can be found in various records from the Rhineland region of Germany. For example, a "Johannes Trau" is listed as a citizen of the city of Cologne in a legal document from 1261.

During the Middle Ages, the name TRAU seems to have been particularly prevalent in the areas around the cities of Nuremberg and Bamberg in Bavaria. A notable figure from this period is Hans Trau (1486-1564), a German goldsmith and engraver who worked in Nuremberg and produced intricate metalwork and religious artifacts.

As the surname spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Trouw, Trou, and Trave. In the 15th century, a Flemish merchant named Jan Trave (circa 1420-1490) is recorded as having traded goods between Bruges and England.

In the 16th century, the name TRAU made its way to Switzerland, where it is documented in the records of the city of Basel. One prominent individual from this time is Johann Jakob Trau (1551-1616), a Swiss theologian and pastor who published several works on religious studies.

Other notable individuals with the surname TRAU include:

1. Friedrich Trau (1732-1807), a German composer and organist who worked in Dresden and composed numerous church cantatas and organ pieces.

2. Gottlob Trau (1767-1824), a German painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits, including those of notable figures like Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

3. Carl Trau (1836-1891), a German botanist and explorer who conducted extensive research on the flora of South America, particularly in Brazil and Argentina.

4. Gustav Trau (1879-1944), an Austrian architect and urban planner who designed several prominent buildings in Vienna, such as the Trau-Hof apartment complex.

5. Ella Trau (1888-1981), a German-American photographer and artist who gained recognition for her portrait photography and experimental techniques.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Trau

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

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

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

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