2000
#118,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Tressa
A surname derived from the Italian word "treccia," meaning a braid or plait of hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Tressa. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tressa 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Tressa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tressa, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tressa
The surname TRESSA originates from Italy, specifically the region of Tuscany, and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Italian word "tresso," which means braided or woven, suggesting a possible connection to the textile industry or a family of weavers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name TRESSA can be found in a document from the Florentine archives, dated 1388, which mentions a merchant named Giovanni Tressa. This indicates that the name was already established in the region during that period.
In the late 15th century, a notable figure named Bartolomeo Tressa was a respected scholar and mathematician from the city of Pisa. He authored several treatises on geometry and algebra, contributing to the advancement of mathematical knowledge during the Renaissance.
During the 16th century, the TRESSA family gained prominence in the town of Siena, where they were involved in the local government and held influential positions. Records from that time mention a Pietro Tressa, who served as a magistrate in the city council.
In the 17th century, a branch of the TRESSA family settled in the coastal town of Livorno, where they engaged in maritime trade and commerce. One notable figure was Giacomo Tressa, a successful merchant and ship owner who established trade routes with the Mediterranean and the Levant.
The TRESSA name also spread to other regions of Italy, including the island of Sicily, where a noble family with the surname existed. In the 18th century, Vincenzo Tressa was a prominent landowner and vineyard owner in the town of Marsala, known for producing the famous Marsala wine.
Throughout history, the TRESSA surname has been associated with various professions, from merchants and scholars to artisans and landowners, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and occupations of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tressa
Among Census respondents with the surname Tressa, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Tressa 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 Tressa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tressa
Tressa 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
#133,048
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
-8 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,094 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-17 bearers (-13.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,398 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,954 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,048 | 127 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 14,094 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.4%) | Down 16,398 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 Tressa 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 | #133,048 | #149,446 | -12.3% |
| Count | 127 | 110 | -13.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tressa bearers went from 127 to 110 (-13.4% change). The surname moved down 16,398 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,048 to #149,446.
FAQ
Tressa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tressa?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Tressa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Tressa?
Tressa ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Tressa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Tressa.
Has Tressa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tressa went from 127 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 17 (-13.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,048 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Tressa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tressa, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Tressa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tressa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Hispanic (2.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.7%). 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 Tressa (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 Tressa mean?
A surname derived from the Italian word "treccia," meaning a braid or plait of hair. 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 Tressa (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 Tressa?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.