2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Trefts
An English locational surname derived from a placename referring to trees, woods, or a grove.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Trefts. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Trefts 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.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Trefts in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Trefts, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Trefts
The surname TREFTS is believed to have originated in England, likely in the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place name that has now been lost or obscured over time. However, some records suggest it may be related to the Old English word "trefet," meaning a small dwelling or homestead.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname TREFTS can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, dating back to 1273. This document mentions a person named Walter Trefts, suggesting the name was present in the region during the 13th century. Another early record comes from the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1310, which lists a William Trefts as a landowner.
The TREFTS surname has also been found in various parish records throughout the centuries. For instance, the baptism of John Trefts was recorded in the parish of St. Dunstan's in Stepney, London, in 1578. Additionally, the marriage between Thomas Trefts and Mary Browne was documented in the parish of St. Giles Cripplegate, London, in 1639.
Historically, the TREFTS surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One example is Sir John Trefts (1584-1653), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire during the reign of King Charles I. Another prominent figure was Richard Trefts (1710-1788), a British naval officer who played a significant role in the successful defense of Gibraltar during the American Revolutionary War.
Other individuals with the TREFTS surname include William Trefts (1637-1718), an early settler in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and Thomas Trefts (1776-1844), a prominent businessman and landowner in New York State. Additionally, Elizabeth Trefts (1829-1903) was a notable American educator who founded the Trefts Classical Institute in New Hampshire, which later became part of the University of New Hampshire system.
While the TREFTS surname is not exceptionally common, it has a long and fascinating history, with roots stretching back to medieval England and a presence in various regions throughout the centuries. Its connection to place names and potential Old English origins add to the intrigue surrounding this unique surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Trefts
Among Census respondents with the surname Trefts, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Trefts 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 Trefts surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 102
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Trefts
Trefts 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-19 bearers (-15.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 27,721 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+6 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,242 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-15.3%) | Down 27,721 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.7%) | Up 6,242 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 Trefts 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 | #154,907 | #148,665 | 4.0% |
| Count | 105 | 111 | 5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Trefts bearers went from 105 to 111 (+5.7% change). The surname moved up 6,242 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #148,665.
FAQ
Trefts surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Trefts?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Trefts. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Trefts?
Trefts ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 111 people with the surname Trefts. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Trefts.
Has Trefts become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Trefts went from 105 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 6 (+5.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Trefts?
Among Census respondents with the surname Trefts, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Trefts in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Trefts appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Trefts (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 Trefts mean?
An English locational surname derived from a placename referring to trees, woods, or a grove. 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 Trefts (0.04 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 have the surname Trefts?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.