2000
#8,949
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,360
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.25
Rare Last name
Trexler
Derived from a German place name meaning "the settlement of Tracholf," combining a personal name with a habitational element.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,696 Americans carry the last name Trexler. That puts it at #9,635 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 92,737 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Trexler 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
3.7K
1 in 92,737
Census rank
#9,635
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,223 bearers of the surname Trexler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9635th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Trexler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Trexler
The surname Trexler has its origins in Germany, specifically in the southern regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. It is believed to have emerged in the late Middle Ages, around the 14th or 15th century. The name is derived from the Old High German word "truhsaez," which means "trustee" or "steward."
Historically, the Trexler surname was associated with individuals who held positions of trust and responsibility, often serving as stewards or administrators for noble families or ecclesiastical authorities. One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in a document from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, dated 1423, which mentions a certain "Hans Trexler."
In the 16th century, records from the city of Nuremberg indicate the presence of several Trexler families, including a prominent merchant named Georg Trexler (1520-1592), who was involved in the local trade guilds. Another notable figure from this period was Johann Trexler (1548-1619), a Lutheran theologian and author who served as a professor at the University of Tübingen.
As the name spread across different regions of Germany, variations in spelling emerged, such as Trexeler, Trechsler, and Trechseler. These variations often reflected local linguistic influences or scribal preferences. In some areas, the name was also associated with specific occupations, such as woodturners or carpenters.
One of the earliest documented Trexlers to immigrate to North America was Hans Caspar Trexler (1670-1745), who arrived in Pennsylvania from the Palatinate region of Germany in the early 18th century. He settled in the area that is now known as Trexlertown, which was named after his family.
Other notable individuals bearing the Trexler surname include:
1. Johann Trexler (1624-1677), a German composer and organist from Nuremberg.
2. Gottfried Trexler (1783-1835), a German artist and engraver known for his landscape paintings.
3. Sophia Trexler (1808-1892), an American philanthropist and benefactor of Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania.
4. William Trexler (1851-1916), an American industrialist and founder of the Trexler Lumber Company in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
5. Levi Trexler (1865-1945), an American businessman and real estate developer in Reading, Pennsylvania.
While the name Trexler is most prevalent in Germany and the United States, it can also be found in other parts of the world, likely due to migration patterns and historical events. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period in southern Germany, where it emerged as a surname associated with positions of trust and responsibility.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Trexler
Among Census respondents with the surname Trexler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Trexler 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 Trexler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.4% · 3,009
- Two or more races2.7% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 84
- Black or African American0.5% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Trexler
Trexler 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
#9,770
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,316
-44 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 821 places
2020
#9,635
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,223
-93 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Up 135 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,949 | 3,360 | 1.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,770 | 3,316 | 1.12 | -44 bearers (-1.3%) | Down 821 places |
| 2020 | #9,635 | 3,223 | 1.08 | -93 bearers (-2.8%) | Up 135 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 Trexler 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 | #9,770 | #9,635 | 1.4% |
| Count | 3,316 | 3,223 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.12 | 1.08 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Trexler bearers went from 3,316 to 3,223 (-2.8% change). The surname moved up 135 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,770 to #9,635.
FAQ
Trexler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Trexler?
Name Census estimates that about 3,696 living Americans carry the surname Trexler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 92,737 residents.
How common is Trexler?
Trexler ranks #9,635 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,223 people with the surname Trexler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,696), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Trexler.
Has Trexler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Trexler went from 3,316 recorded bearers to 3,223. That is a decrease of 93 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,770 to #9,635.
What does the Census say about the background of Trexler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Trexler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Trexler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.4% (3,009 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Trexler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.4%), Two or More Races (2.7%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Trexler (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 Trexler mean?
Derived from a German place name meaning "the settlement of Tracholf," combining a personal name with a habitational element. 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 Trexler (1.08 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 share the surname Trexler?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.