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

Traynor, 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 Traynor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Traynor in America

Traynor is the 9013th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Traynor surname appeared 3,628 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Traynor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Traynor 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 Traynor

The surname Traynor has its origins in Ireland, specifically in the northern counties of Ulster. It is believed to have derived from the Gaelic name "O'Treanoir," which means "descendant of the strong man" or "descendant of the powerful one." This name can be traced back to the 12th century.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Traynor can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history written by monks in the 15th century. The Annals mention several individuals with the name, including Aedh O'Treanoir, who was a leader in County Armagh in the 1300s.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in various administrative records and legal documents, such as the Fiants of the Tudor monarchy in Ireland. One notable individual from this period was Seamus Traynor, who was a landowner in County Antrim in the late 1500s.

As the centuries passed, the name spread to other parts of Ireland, and various spelling variations emerged, including Traynor, Treanor, and Trainor. These variations reflect the differences in pronunciation and local dialects across the island.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Traynor was Patrick Traynor, a Roman Catholic priest born in County Armagh in the late 17th century. He was a prominent figure during the Penal Laws era, when Catholics faced significant discrimination and persecution in Ireland.

Another notable figure was Micheal Traynor, born in County Down in 1768, who was a renowned Irish harpist and composer. He was one of the last great practitioners of the ancient Irish harp tradition and played a significant role in preserving this cultural heritage.

In the 19th century, several Traynors gained prominence in various fields. Michael Traynor (1807-1866) was an Irish politician and Member of Parliament for County Armagh. John Traynor (1828-1899) was a successful businessman and philanthropist from County Tyrone, known for his support of education and charitable causes.

As the Irish diaspora spread worldwide, the surname Traynor travelled with emigrants to various countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Individuals with this surname can be found in numerous professions and walks of life, contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural diversity in their adopted homelands.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Traynor

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

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

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

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