2000
#2,630
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,627
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.68
Uncommon Last name
Traylor
An English occupational surname referring to a tailor or a person who worked as a cutter of cloth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,323 Americans carry the last name Traylor. That puts it at #2,806 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,930 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Traylor 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Traylor with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 23,930
Census rank
#2,806
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,490 bearers of the surname Traylor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2806th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Traylor, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.3%. The next largest groups are Black (38.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Traylor
The surname Traylor has its origins in England, and it can be traced back to the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old French word "traillour," which means "a person who trailed or dragged something." This occupation-based surname was likely given to someone who worked in the textile industry, specifically someone who trailed or dragged cloth during the manufacturing process.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Traylor can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, dated 1273, where it appears as "Williamo le Traylour." This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 13th century in England.
In the 14th century, the Traylor surname appears in various records across different counties in England. For instance, in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, there is a mention of a "William le Traillour." Similarly, in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1332, a "John le Traillour" is recorded.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Traylor surname was John Traylor, who was born in Yorkshire, England, in the late 14th century. He was a successful wool merchant and is mentioned in several historical documents from the early 15th century.
Another notable individual with the Traylor surname was Sir William Traylor, who lived in the 16th century. He was a wealthy landowner and served as a Member of Parliament for the city of Coventry in 1553 and 1559.
In the 17th century, the Traylor family was well-established in various parts of England. One prominent member was Robert Traylor, born in 1612 in Gloucestershire. He was a renowned scholar and author, known for his works on theology and philosophy.
During the 18th century, the Traylor surname continued to be found throughout England. One notable figure was Thomas Traylor, born in 1718 in Oxfordshire. He was a successful merchant and philanthropist, known for his contributions to various charities in his local community.
In the 19th century, the Traylor family had spread across different parts of the British Isles. One notable individual was Edward Traylor, born in 1825 in County Cork, Ireland. He was a prominent lawyer and served as a Judge in the High Court of Ireland.
Over the centuries, the Traylor surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Traillour, Traylour, Traylere, and Trailour, before settling on the modern spelling of Traylor. These variations reflect the evolution of the English language and regional dialectal differences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Traylor
Among Census respondents with the surname Traylor, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.3%. The next largest groups are Black (38.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Traylor 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 Traylor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.3% · 6,532
- Black or African American38.9% · 4,854
- Two or more races4.7% · 588
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 397
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 61
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 58
Timeline
Historical Census data for Traylor
Traylor 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
#2,701
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,341
+714 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 4.52
Rank movement Down 71 places
2020
#2,806
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,490
-851 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 4.18
Rank movement Down 105 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,630 | 12,627 | 4.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,701 | 13,341 | 4.52 | +714 bearers (+5.7%) | Down 71 places |
| 2020 | #2,806 | 12,490 | 4.18 | -851 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 105 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 Traylor 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 | #2,701 | #2,806 | -3.9% |
| Count | 13,341 | 12,490 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 4.52 | 4.18 | -7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Traylor bearers went from 13,341 to 12,490 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 105 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,701 to #2,806.
FAQ
Traylor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Traylor?
Name Census estimates that about 14,323 living Americans carry the surname Traylor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 23,930 residents.
How common is Traylor?
Traylor ranks #2,806 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.18 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 12,490 people with the surname Traylor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,323), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.18 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 Traylor.
Has Traylor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Traylor went from 13,341 recorded bearers to 12,490. That is a decrease of 851 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,701 to #2,806.
What does the Census say about the background of Traylor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Traylor, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.3%. The next largest groups are Black (38.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Traylor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.3% (6,532 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Traylor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.3%), Black (38.9%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Traylor (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 Traylor mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a tailor or a person who worked as a cutter of cloth. 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 Traylor (4.18 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 Traylor?
Want to know how many people have the surname Traylor? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.