2000
#73,412
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 246
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Troller
A surname derived from the Middle Low German word "troller," meaning a merchant or dealer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 265 Americans carry the last name Troller. That puts it at #86,747 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,293,413 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Troller 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.
Bearers in the US
265
1 in 1,293,413
Census rank
#86,747
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
231
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 231 bearers of the surname Troller in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 86747th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Troller, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Troller
The surname Troller is of German origin, with its earliest known examples dating back to the late 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "trollen," which means "to wander" or "to roam." This suggests that the name was originally given to people who travelled frequently or were itinerant, perhaps traders or merchants.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Troller can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany, from the year 1487. This document mentions a certain Hans Troller, a merchant who was granted permission to trade in the city. Another early reference is from the records of the University of Heidelberg, which lists a student named Johannes Troller enrolled in the year 1501.
In the 16th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of Germany, as well as neighboring regions. A notable figure from this period is Peter Troller, a Lutheran theologian and writer who lived from 1525 to 1581. He was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation and authored several works on theology and religious doctrine.
As the Troller family continued to grow and expand, they established themselves in various regions across Europe. In the 17th century, a branch of the family settled in the Netherlands, where they became involved in the Dutch East India Company's trade with Asia. One such individual was Adriaan Troller, born in 1638, who served as a merchant and captain for the company.
In the 18th century, the name Troller can be found in records from Switzerland, where a family of that name lived in the canton of Bern. One notable member was Johann Jakob Troller, born in 1741, who was a respected clockmaker and watchmaker in the city of Bern.
Another significant figure was Friedrich Troller, a German-born architect who lived from 1804 to 1883. He was known for his work on several important buildings in St. Petersburg, Russia, including the Mariinsky Palace and the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.
As the centuries passed, the Troller name continued to spread across Europe and beyond, with various branches of the family establishing themselves in different regions and occupations. While the name may have originated from humble beginnings, it has since been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, each contributing to the rich tapestry of its history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Troller
Among Census respondents with the surname Troller, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Troller 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 Troller surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 209
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 13
- Black or African American1.7% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 3
- Two or more races0.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Troller
Troller 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
#76,768
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 250
+4 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 3,356 places
2020
#86,747
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 231
-19 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 9,979 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #73,412 | 246 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #76,768 | 250 | 0.08 | +4 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 3,356 places |
| 2020 | #86,747 | 231 | 0.08 | -19 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 9,979 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 Troller 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 | #76,768 | #86,747 | -13.0% |
| Count | 250 | 231 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.08 | -3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Troller bearers went from 250 to 231 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 9,979 positions in the national ranking, going from #76,768 to #86,747.
FAQ
Troller surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Troller?
Name Census estimates that about 265 living Americans carry the surname Troller. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,293,413 residents.
How common is Troller?
Troller ranks #86,747 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 231 people with the surname Troller. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (265), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Troller.
Has Troller become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Troller went from 250 recorded bearers to 231. That is a decrease of 19 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #76,768 to #86,747.
What does the Census say about the background of Troller?
Among Census respondents with the surname Troller, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Troller in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (209 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Troller appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Hispanic (5.6%), Black (1.7%). 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 Troller (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 Troller mean?
A surname derived from the Middle Low German word "troller," meaning a merchant or dealer. 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 Troller (0.08 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 Troller?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.