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

Travis, 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 Travis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Travis in America

Travis is the 998th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Travis surname appeared 34,985 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 12 people would have the surname Travis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Travis 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 Travis

The surname Travis is believed to have originated in France, derived from the Old French word "travers," which means "crosswise" or "oblique." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a crossroads or a winding path.

In the early 12th century, the surname was recorded in various forms, such as "de Travers" or "de Trauers," indicating a placename origin. The first recorded instance of the surname was in Normandy, France, around 1180, when a man named Radulfus de Travers was mentioned in a legal document.

The name Travis made its way to England after the Norman Conquest in 1066, when many French nobles and their families settled in the country. One of the earliest recorded Englishmen with the surname Travis was William de Travers, who lived in Leicestershire in the late 12th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Travis family held lands and properties in various parts of England, including Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire, and Yorkshire. One notable member of the family was Sir John Travis (c. 1380-1452), a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War and was rewarded with lands in Somersetshire.

In the 16th century, the surname Travis began to appear in its modern spelling, as seen in the records of John Travis (c. 1520-1590), a wealthy merchant from Bristol. Another prominent figure was Thomas Travis (1595-1654), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

As the Travis family spread across England, variations of the surname emerged, such as Traviss, Travers, and Travas. One notable individual was Benjamin Travers (1783-1858), a British surgeon and anatomist who made significant contributions to the field of medicine.

Other historical figures with the surname Travis include:

1. Meriwether Travis (1809-1836), an American lawyer and soldier who commanded the Texian forces at the Battle of the Alamo.
2. William Barrett Travis (1809-1836), an American lawyer and soldier who also fought and died at the Alamo alongside his cousin Meriwether Travis.
3. William Pitt Travis (1864-1935), an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. Senator from Kentucky.
4. Walter Travis (1862-1927), an Australian-born American amateur golfer and course architect, known for his contributions to the game of golf.
5. Thomas Travis (1786-1859), an English engraver and painter who produced numerous portraits and historical scenes.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Travis

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

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

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

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