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

Troll, 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 Troll surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Troll in America

Troll is the 51396th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Troll surname appeared 405 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 Troll.

We can also compare 2010 data for Troll 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.

The history of the last name Troll

The surname TROLL originated in Norway during the early Middle Ages, likely derived from the Old Norse word "troll" which referred to a mischievous or supernatural creature from Norse mythology. It is believed that the name was initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone who displayed characteristics reminiscent of these mythical beings, such as a gruff or unkempt appearance.

The earliest known historical reference to the TROLL surname can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of medieval Norwegian documents dating back to the 13th century. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this name was Thorvald Troll, a Norwegian farmer mentioned in a land deed from around 1275.

In the 14th century, the name began to appear in various Scandinavian records and manuscripts, particularly in regions like Trøndelag and Vestlandet in Norway. Some variations in the spelling were also observed, such as "Trolle" and "Tröll."

One notable figure with the TROLL surname was Nils Troll (c. 1450-1510), a Norwegian nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the conflicts between Norway and Sweden during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Another historical figure of note was Jens Troll (1508-1565), a Danish bishop and theologian who was an influential figure in the Protestant Reformation in Denmark.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the TROLL surname began to spread beyond Scandinavia as individuals migrated to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the name was Johan Troll, a Swedish immigrant who settled in Delaware in the late 1600s.

Among other notable individuals with the TROLL surname throughout history were:

1. Theodor Troll (1813-1882), a German botanist and explorer who made significant contributions to the study of plant geography.
2. Helge Troll (1890-1954), a Norwegian author and playwright known for his works exploring the lives of rural communities in Norway.
3. Carl Troll (1899-1975), a German geographer and botanist who pioneered the field of landscape ecology.
4. Viggo Troll (1901-1970), a Norwegian actor and film director who was prominent in the early years of Norwegian cinema.
5. Eleonore Troll (1904-1996), an Austrian painter and printmaker known for her expressionist works portraying everyday life in Vienna.

These examples illustrate the widespread distribution of the TROLL surname across various regions and its association with notable figures from diverse fields throughout history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Troll

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

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 Troll was:

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

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

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

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