2000
#72,717
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 249
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Trovinger
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly of Germanic origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 275 Americans carry the last name Trovinger. That puts it at #84,231 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,246,379 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Trovinger 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
275
1 in 1,246,379
Census rank
#84,231
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
240
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 240 bearers of the surname Trovinger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 84231st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Trovinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Trovinger
The surname TROVINGER is believed to have originated in the region of Aargau, Switzerland. It is thought to be derived from the Old High German words "trov" meaning "herd" or "drove" and "inger" meaning "people" or "dwellers". This suggests that the name may have originally referred to people who lived in an area known for its livestock herding or driving activities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name TROVINGER can be found in a document from the Aargau region dating back to the 14th century. This document mentions a family with the name "Trofinger", which is likely an earlier spelling variation of TROVINGER.
In the 15th century, there are records of a TROVINGER family residing in the town of Brugg, Aargau. This town was an important trading center during that time, and it is possible that the TROVINGER family may have been involved in the livestock trade.
The name TROVINGER also appears in historical records from the neighboring regions of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria in Germany, suggesting that the name may have spread from Switzerland to these areas over time.
One notable individual with the surname TROVINGER was Hans Trovinger, who was born in Brugg, Aargau, in 1512. He was a respected merchant and served as a council member in the town.
Another notable TROVINGER was Johann Trovinger, born in 1624 in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg. He was a renowned clockmaker and is credited with designing several intricate clocks that were highly prized during his time.
In the 18th century, there was a TROVINGER family living in the town of Rottweil, Baden-Württemberg. One member of this family, Friedrich Trovinger, born in 1742, was a respected scholar and author who wrote several books on theology and philosophy.
The name TROVINGER can also be found in historical records from the Swiss canton of Bern, where a family with this surname lived in the town of Thun during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Finally, in the 19th century, there was a TROVINGER family residing in the town of Überlingen, Baden-Württemberg. One member of this family, Karl Trovinger, born in 1823, was a prominent lawyer and served as a judge in the local court.
While the surname TROVINGER may not be as common today as it once was, its long history and presence in various regions of Switzerland and Germany over several centuries serves as a testament to its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Trovinger
Among Census respondents with the surname Trovinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Trovinger 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 Trovinger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.1% · 209
- Two or more races7.1% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Trovinger
Trovinger 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
#81,458
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 232
-17 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 8,741 places
2020
#84,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 240
+8 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 2,773 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #72,717 | 249 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #81,458 | 232 | 0.08 | -17 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 8,741 places |
| 2020 | #84,231 | 240 | 0.08 | +8 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 2,773 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 Trovinger 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 | #81,458 | #84,231 | -3.4% |
| Count | 232 | 240 | 3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Trovinger bearers went from 232 to 240 (+3.4% change). The surname moved down 2,773 positions in the national ranking, going from #81,458 to #84,231.
FAQ
Trovinger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Trovinger?
Name Census estimates that about 275 living Americans carry the surname Trovinger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,246,379 residents.
How common is Trovinger?
Trovinger ranks #84,231 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 240 people with the surname Trovinger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (275), 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 Trovinger.
Has Trovinger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Trovinger went from 232 recorded bearers to 240. That is an increase of 8 (+3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #81,458 to #84,231.
What does the Census say about the background of Trovinger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Trovinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Trovinger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.1% (209 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Trovinger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.1%), Two or More Races (7.1%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Trovinger (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 Trovinger mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name, possibly of Germanic origin. 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 Trovinger (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 Trovinger?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.