2000
#2,868
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,507
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.27
Uncommon Last name
Trinh
A Vietnamese surname derived from a word meaning "upright" or "vigorous," often indicating a person of moral character.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 20,623 Americans carry the last name Trinh. That puts it at #1,956 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,620 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Trinh 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 Trinh with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
21K
1 in 16,620
Census rank
#1,956
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,984 bearers of the surname Trinh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1956th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Trinh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and White (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Trinh
The surname TRINH originated in Vietnam, with its roots traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Vietnamese word "trinh," which means "chaste" or "pure." During the Tran Dynasty (1225-1400), the name was commonly used to refer to those who held positions of honor and authority within the imperial court.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname TRINH can be found in the annals of the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945), where it is mentioned in connection with the renowned Trinh lords who governed the northern region of Vietnam from the 16th to the 18th century. This powerful family played a pivotal role in shaping the political landscape of the era.
Among the notable figures bearing the TRINH surname was Trinh Tung (1601-1657), a prominent military leader and statesman who served as the de facto ruler of the northern region during the 17th century. His contributions to the stability and prosperity of the region were significant.
Another influential figure was Trinh Sam (1765-1833), a revered scholar and diplomat who played a crucial role in establishing diplomatic relations between Vietnam and several European nations during the early 19th century.
The TRINH surname can also be traced back to the ancient village of Trinh Xa, located in the present-day province of Nam Dinh. This village was known for producing numerous scholars and officials who served in various imperial courts throughout the centuries.
One such notable figure was Trinh Hoai Duc (1765-1825), a renowned poet and calligrapher whose works have been preserved and celebrated for their artistic and literary merits.
In more recent times, the TRINH surname has been associated with prominent individuals such as Trinh Cong Son (1939-2001), a legendary Vietnamese musician and songwriter whose compositions have left an indelible mark on the country's cultural landscape.
Throughout its history, the surname TRINH has been closely tied to Vietnam's rich cultural heritage, representing a lineage of scholars, leaders, and artists who have made significant contributions to the nation's development and identity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Trinh
Among Census respondents with the surname Trinh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and White (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Trinh 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 Trinh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander95.4% · 17,155
- Two or more races1.9% · 349
- White1.5% · 272
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 172
- Black or African American0.2% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Trinh
Trinh 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
#2,368
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,392
+3,885 bearers (+33.8%)
Per 100,000 5.22
Rank movement Up 500 places
2020
#1,956
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,984
+2,592 bearers (+16.8%)
Per 100,000 6.02
Rank movement Up 412 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,868 | 11,507 | 4.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,368 | 15,392 | 5.22 | +3,885 bearers (+33.8%) | Up 500 places |
| 2020 | #1,956 | 17,984 | 6.02 | +2,592 bearers (+16.8%) | Up 412 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 Trinh 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 | #2,368 | #1,956 | 17.4% |
| Count | 15,392 | 17,984 | 16.8% |
| Per 100K | 5.22 | 6.02 | 15.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Trinh bearers went from 15,392 to 17,984 (+16.8% change). The surname moved up 412 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,368 to #1,956.
FAQ
Trinh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Trinh?
Name Census estimates that about 20,623 living Americans carry the surname Trinh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,620 residents.
How common is Trinh?
Trinh ranks #1,956 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.02 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,984 people with the surname Trinh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (20,623), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.02 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Trinh.
Has Trinh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Trinh went from 15,392 recorded bearers to 17,984. That is an increase of 2,592 (+16.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,368 to #1,956.
What does the Census say about the background of Trinh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Trinh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 95.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.9%) and White (1.5%). 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?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Trinh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.4% (17,155 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Trinh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (95.4%), Two or More Races (1.9%), White (1.5%). 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 Trinh (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 Trinh mean?
A Vietnamese surname derived from a word meaning "upright" or "vigorous," often indicating a person of moral character. 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 Trinh (6.02 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 common is the surname Trinh?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Trinh is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.