2000
#8,945
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,361
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.25
Rare Last name
Trimmer
An occupational surname referring to a carpenter or one who trims or cuts wood.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,504 Americans carry the last name Trimmer. That puts it at #10,054 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 97,818 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Trimmer 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 Trimmer with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 97,818
Census rank
#10,054
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,056 bearers of the surname Trimmer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10054th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Trimmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Black (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Trimmer
The surname Trimmer is of English origin, derived from the occupational name for a maker or seller of trimmed goods, such as clothing or furnishings. It is believed to have originated in the late 12th century, during the Middle English period.
The name is likely derived from the Old English word "trymman," which means "to trim" or "to decorate." It is also possible that the name is related to the Old French word "trimer," meaning "to arrange or trim."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Trimmer can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire, compiled in 1273, which mentions a person named William le Trymmer.
In the 14th century, the surname appears in various forms, such as Trymour and Trymor, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation during that time.
A notable historical figure bearing the name Trimmer was Sarah Trimmer (1741-1810), an English writer and critic who advocated for the education of children and published several educational works.
Another individual of note was Henry Trimmer (1684-1765), an English clergyman and antiquary who served as the rector of Rochford in Essex and wrote several works on the history of the county.
In the 17th century, the surname Trimmer was found in various parts of England, including Lincolnshire, Essex, and Yorkshire. One example is John Trimmer (1633-1703), a prominent merchant and landowner in Beverley, Yorkshire.
The name Trimmer has also been associated with certain place names, such as Trimmer's Green in Buckinghamshire and Trimmer's Farm in Essex, indicating the presence of families with this surname in those areas.
Other notable individuals with the surname Trimmer include William Trimmer (1786-1866), an English architect and surveyor who designed several buildings in London, and Charles Trimmer (1856-1942), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Trimmer
Among Census respondents with the surname Trimmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Black (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Trimmer 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 Trimmer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.8% · 2,683
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 123
- Black or African American3.5% · 106
- Two or more races3.4% · 103
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Trimmer
Trimmer 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
#9,276
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,509
+148 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Down 331 places
2020
#10,054
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,056
-453 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 778 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,945 | 3,361 | 1.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,276 | 3,509 | 1.19 | +148 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 331 places |
| 2020 | #10,054 | 3,056 | 1.02 | -453 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 778 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 Trimmer 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 | #9,276 | #10,054 | -8.4% |
| Count | 3,509 | 3,056 | -12.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 1.02 | -14.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Trimmer bearers went from 3,509 to 3,056 (-12.9% change). The surname moved down 778 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,276 to #10,054.
FAQ
Trimmer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Trimmer?
Name Census estimates that about 3,504 living Americans carry the surname Trimmer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 97,818 residents.
How common is Trimmer?
Trimmer ranks #10,054 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 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 3,056 people with the surname Trimmer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,504), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 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 Trimmer.
Has Trimmer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Trimmer went from 3,509 recorded bearers to 3,056. That is a decrease of 453 (-12.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,276 to #10,054.
What does the Census say about the background of Trimmer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Trimmer, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Black (3.5%). 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 Trimmer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.8% (2,683 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Trimmer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.8%), Hispanic (4.0%), Black (3.5%). 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 Trimmer (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 Trimmer mean?
An occupational surname referring to a carpenter or one who trims or cuts wood. 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 Trimmer (1.02 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 Trimmer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.