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

Tree, 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 Tree surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tree in America

Tree is the 35057th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tree surname appeared 643 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 Tree.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tree 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 Tree

The surname Tree originated in England during the late Middle Ages. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "treow," which means "tree" or "wood." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a prominent tree or in a wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tree appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mentions a John atte Tree. This early spelling, "atte Tree," suggests that the name initially referred to someone living near a specific tree or group of trees.

In the 14th century, the name also appears in various forms, such as "Attree" and "Atree," further indicating its origins as a descriptive surname based on location or proximity to a tree or wooded area.

The surname Tree can be found in several historical records, including the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a landowner named Robertus de Treew in Gloucestershire. This early spelling variation, "Treew," reinforces the connection to the Old English word "treow."

Notable individuals with the surname Tree throughout history include:

1. John Tree (c. 1540-1616), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for Evesham in 1586.
2. Sir Lambert Tree (1596-1661), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Wycombe during the English Civil War.
3. Mary Tree (1768-1852), an English Quaker minister and diarist who documented her travels and religious experiences.
4. Walter Tree (1858-1931), an English actor and theatre manager who co-founded the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London.
5. Michael Tree (1934-2018), an American violist and founding member of the Guarneri Quartet, one of the most acclaimed string quartets of the 20th century.

The surname Tree has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Treeton in South Yorkshire and Treehill in Staffordshire, further reinforcing its geographical and descriptive origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tree

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

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

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

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