2000
#8,621
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,512
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.30
Rare Last name
Trigg
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "trig" or "trustworthy."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,869 Americans carry the last name Trigg. That puts it at #9,261 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,590 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Trigg 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Trigg with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 88,590
Census rank
#9,261
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,374 bearers of the surname Trigg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9261st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Trigg, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.7%. The next largest groups are Black (19.0%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Trigg
The surname Trigg has its origins in England and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "tricce," which means a trick, fraud, or deception. This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who was known for their trickery or deceitful behavior.
The earliest recorded instances of the Trigg surname can be found in various English records from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 mention a John Trig in Oxfordshire. Additionally, the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 include an entry for Willelmus Tregge, which is likely an early variation of the Trigg spelling.
The name Trigg also has connections to certain place names in England. For instance, the village of Trig in Cornwall may have contributed to the surname's development. Similarly, the hamlet of Trigge in Somerset could have played a role in shaping the name's evolution.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Trigg. One such figure was Sir Thomas Trigg (1554-1628), an English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1614. Another significant person was Giles Trigg (1628-1694), an English Puritan clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
In the 17th century, the Trigg surname gained prominence through the accomplishments of John Trigg (1637-1704), an English Quaker preacher and writer who faced persecution for his religious beliefs. He was imprisoned several times for his involvement in the Quaker movement.
Moving into the 18th century, Robert Trigg (1718-1778) was a notable English architect who designed several churches and country houses in the Palladian style. His most famous work is the Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire, which he completed in 1765.
In the 19th century, James Trigg (1801-1876) was a prominent English engraver and illustrator known for his intricate book illustrations and engravings of architectural subjects. His work adorned numerous publications during the Victorian era.
The surname Trigg has a rich history rooted in medieval England, with connections to various place names and individuals who left their mark on different fields throughout the centuries. Its origins as a nickname related to trickery or deceit add an intriguing aspect to the name's evolution over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Trigg
Among Census respondents with the surname Trigg, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.7%. The next largest groups are Black (19.0%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Trigg 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 Trigg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.7% · 2,353
- Black or African American19.0% · 641
- Two or more races5.6% · 190
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 140
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Trigg
Trigg 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
#8,985
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,642
+130 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.23
Rank movement Down 364 places
2020
#9,261
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,374
-268 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 276 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,621 | 3,512 | 1.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,985 | 3,642 | 1.23 | +130 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 364 places |
| 2020 | #9,261 | 3,374 | 1.13 | -268 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 276 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 Trigg 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 | #8,985 | #9,261 | -3.1% |
| Count | 3,642 | 3,374 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.23 | 1.13 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Trigg bearers went from 3,642 to 3,374 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 276 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,985 to #9,261.
FAQ
Trigg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Trigg?
Name Census estimates that about 3,869 living Americans carry the surname Trigg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,590 residents.
How common is Trigg?
Trigg ranks #9,261 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 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 3,374 people with the surname Trigg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,869), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 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 Trigg.
Has Trigg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Trigg went from 3,642 recorded bearers to 3,374. That is a decrease of 268 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,985 to #9,261.
What does the Census say about the background of Trigg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Trigg, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.7%. The next largest groups are Black (19.0%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Trigg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.7% (2,353 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Trigg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.7%), Black (19.0%), Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Trigg (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 Trigg mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place name meaning "trig" or "trustworthy." 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 Trigg (1.13 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 last name Trigg?
See how many people have the surname Trigg on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.