2000
#13,580
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,051
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.76
Rare Last name
Trim
An English surname derived from a nickname for a well-dressed or neat person, from Middle English "trim" meaning "firm, stable."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,537 Americans carry the last name Trim. That puts it at #13,229 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 135,102 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Trim 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 Trim with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 135,102
Census rank
#13,229
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,212 bearers of the surname Trim in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13229th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Trim, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.8%. The next largest groups are Black (30.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Trim
The surname TRIM is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the early medieval period in the 12th century. It is believed to be a topographic name, derived from the Old English word "trymman," meaning "to trim" or "to prune." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to an occupation or a location associated with trimming or pruning activities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name TRIM can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1209, where a person named Richard Trim is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already established in England during the early 13th century.
The surname TRIM is also closely linked to the town of Trim in County Meath, Ireland. The name of the town is derived from the Irish word "Baile Átha Troim," meaning "town of the heavy ford." It is possible that some bearers of the surname TRIM may have originated from this area or had connections to the town.
In the 14th century, records show the name appearing in various spellings, such as Trym, Trymme, and Trymman. These variations reflect the evolving nature of surnames during that period and the influence of regional dialects.
One notable bearer of the surname TRIM was Sir Thomas Trim (c. 1540-1614), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1612. He was involved in the East India Company and played a significant role in the early English trading activities with India.
Another prominent figure with the surname TRIM was Benjamin Trim (1659-1724), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge, from 1719 until his death.
In the 18th century, John Trim (1718-1795) was an English sculptor and carver who worked on various architectural projects, including the Mansion House in London.
Moving into the 19th century, Henry Trim (1820-1899) was a British architect known for his work on the St. Pancras Renaissance London Hotel, a notable example of Gothic Revival architecture.
Additionally, the name TRIM appeared in the historical records of Ireland, where Sir John Trim (1772-1852) was a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for County Meath in the early 19th century.
Throughout its history, the surname TRIM has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, clergy, artists, architects, and landowners, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Trim
Among Census respondents with the surname Trim, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.8%. The next largest groups are Black (30.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Trim 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 Trim surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.8% · 1,344
- Black or African American30.0% · 664
- Two or more races4.2% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 75
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Trim
Trim 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
#13,474
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,258
+207 bearers (+10.1%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Up 106 places
2020
#13,229
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,212
-46 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 245 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,580 | 2,051 | 0.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,474 | 2,258 | 0.77 | +207 bearers (+10.1%) | Up 106 places |
| 2020 | #13,229 | 2,212 | 0.74 | -46 bearers (-2.0%) | Up 245 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 Trim 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 | #13,474 | #13,229 | 1.8% |
| Count | 2,258 | 2,212 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.74 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Trim bearers went from 2,258 to 2,212 (-2.0% change). The surname moved up 245 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,474 to #13,229.
FAQ
Trim surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Trim?
Name Census estimates that about 2,537 living Americans carry the surname Trim. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 135,102 residents.
How common is Trim?
Trim ranks #13,229 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 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 2,212 people with the surname Trim. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,537), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 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 Trim.
Has Trim become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Trim went from 2,258 recorded bearers to 2,212. That is a decrease of 46 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,474 to #13,229.
What does the Census say about the background of Trim?
Among Census respondents with the surname Trim, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.8%. The next largest groups are Black (30.0%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Trim in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.8% (1,344 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Trim appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.8%), Black (30.0%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Trim (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 Trim mean?
An English surname derived from a nickname for a well-dressed or neat person, from Middle English "trim" meaning "firm, stable." 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 Trim (0.74 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 Trim?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.