Tri last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Tri

An occupational surname derived from the French word "trier," meaning to sort or separate.

Tri, 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 Tri surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tri in America

Tri is the 38439th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tri surname appeared 576 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 Tri.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tri 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 38439 41448 -7.53%
Count 576 495 15.13%
Proportion per 100k 0.20 0.18 10.53%

The history of the last name Tri

The surname Tri is believed to have originated in the Czech Republic, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old Czech word "triti," which means "to rub" or "to grind." The name was likely given to individuals who worked as millers or were involved in the grinding of grains.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tri can be found in the historical records of the town of Brno, which was a significant center for trade and commerce during the Middle Ages. The name appears in a document dated 1278, referring to a person named Jan Tri, who was a miller by trade.

Throughout the centuries, the name Tri has been associated with various notable figures. One such individual was Vaclav Tri (1550-1624), a renowned Czech astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of astronomy during the Renaissance period. He is best known for his work on the Tychonic system, which attempted to reconcile the geocentric and heliocentric models of the universe.

Another noteworthy figure was Jakub Tri (1592-1657), a Bohemian theologian and writer who played a crucial role in the Bohemian Reformation. He was a staunch supporter of the Protestant movement and wrote several influential works defending the principles of the Reformation.

In the 18th century, Jan Tri (1715-1784) was a renowned Czech architect who designed numerous churches and public buildings in the Baroque style. His most famous work is the Church of St. Nicholas in Prague, which is considered a masterpiece of Baroque architecture.

During the 19th century, Karel Tri (1823-1899) was a prominent Czech painter and one of the leading figures of the Czech National Revival movement. His paintings often depicted scenes from Czech history and folklore, helping to promote the country's cultural identity and national pride.

In the 20th century, the name Tri was carried by Jaroslav Tri (1920-1985), a Czech writer and journalist who was known for his satirical works critiquing the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. His books and articles provided a unique perspective on life under the oppressive regime and were widely read by the Czech people.

These are just a few examples of the historical significance and notable individuals associated with the surname Tri, which has its roots in the rich cultural heritage of the Czech Republic.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tri

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

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 Tri was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 60.24% 347
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 34.55% 199
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.39% 8
Hispanic Origin 2.08% 12

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 Tri has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 60.24% 64.44% -6.74%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 34.55% 30.91% 11.12%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.39% 1.21% 13.85%
Hispanic 2.08% 1.62% 24.86%

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

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

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"Tri last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on June 4, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/tri-surname-popularity/.

"Tri last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/tri-surname-popularity/. Accessed 4 June, 2025

Tri last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/tri-surname-popularity/.

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