Trousdale
A locational surname originating from someone who lived near a valley.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,234 Americans carry the last name Trousdale. That puts it at #23,618 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 277,759 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Trousdale surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
1.2K
1 in 277,759
Census rank
#23,618
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,074 bearers of the surname Trousdale in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 23618th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Trousdale, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Trousdale
The surname Trousdale is of Scottish origin, derived from the place name "Trows Dale" or "Trowis Dale", a valley or dale in the Scottish Borders region. The name can be traced back to the 12th century, with the earliest recorded spelling being "de Trouisdale" in 1214.
The name is believed to have originated from the Old English words "trog" or "trog-vale", meaning a hollow or valley, combined with the Norse word "dalr", meaning a dale or valley. This suggests that the name likely referred to someone who lived in or came from a particular valley or dale.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a land survey commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct references to the name Trousdale. However, there are mentions of similar place names in Scotland, such as "Trouerwich" and "Trowene", which may be related to the origin of the surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Trousdale can be found in the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland, which mentions a John de Trouisdale in 1365. Another early reference is the mention of a Adam de Trousdale in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls to Edward I of England.
Notable individuals with the surname Trousdale throughout history include:
1. Sir William Trousdale (c. 1570-1638), a Scottish soldier and landowner who served under King James VI of Scotland and later King James I of England.
2. John Trousdale (1609-1659), a Scottish Presbyterian minister and religious writer.
3. William Trousdale (1790-1872), an American politician and soldier who served as the 12th Governor of Tennessee from 1849 to 1851.
4. Grenville Mellen Trousdale (1835-1898), an American lawyer and Union Army officer during the American Civil War.
5. Gary Trousdale (born 1960), an American animator and film director known for his work on Disney animated films such as "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Atlantis: The Lost Empire".
The surname Trousdale has been prominent in various parts of Scotland, particularly in the Scottish Borders region, as well as in parts of England and Ireland. Over time, the name has also spread to other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada, due to immigration and migration patterns.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Trousdale
Among Census respondents with the surname Trousdale, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Trousdale bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Trousdale surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3%
- Two or more races3.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.6%
- Hispanic or Latino1.6%
- Black or African American1.2%
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Trousdale surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #23,618 | #23,618 | 0.0% |
| Count | 1,074 | 1,074 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.36 | 0.36 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Trousdale bearers went from 1,074 to 1,074 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #23,618 to #23,618.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Trousdale
FAQ
Trousdale surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Trousdale?
The surname Trousdale holds position #23,618 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 1,234 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.36 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Trousdale surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Trousdale, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.6%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.