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

Trowbridge, 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 Trowbridge surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Trowbridge in America

Trowbridge is the 4956th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Trowbridge surname appeared 7,095 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Trowbridge.

We can also compare 2010 data for Trowbridge 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 Trowbridge

The surname Trowbridge has its origins rooted in England, specifically in the county of Wiltshire, dating back to the medieval period. It is a locational surname, derived from the town of Trowbridge in Wiltshire, which was historically known as "Trowanbrycg" in Old English, translating to "bridge for trows" or "bridge frequented by trows (dwarfs)."

The earliest known reference to the name Trowbridge can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Trollebrigge." This ancient survey, commissioned by William the Conqueror, documented the manor of Trowbridge as belonging to the King's estates.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Trowbridge was Sir Thomas Trowbridge (c. 1460 - 1520), a prominent English lawyer and judge who served as a Justice of the Common Pleas during the reign of Henry VIII. Another notable figure was Thomas Trowbridge (1598 - 1672), an English Puritan divine and author who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Taunton, Somerset.

In the 17th century, the spelling of the surname was further solidified as "Trowbridge," as evidenced by the life of John Trowbridge (1609 - 1672), a Puritan minister and author who served as the pastor of the First Parish Church in Beverly, Massachusetts, after immigrating to the American colonies.

The 18th century saw the emergence of another influential Trowbridge, Caleb Trowbridge (1718 - 1793), a prominent American merchant and shipowner from Newton, Massachusetts, who played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War as a member of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress.

In the literary realm, John Townsend Trowbridge (1827 - 1916) gained recognition as an American novelist, playwright, and author of popular children's books, including the classic "Cudjo's Cave" and "The Vagabonds."

Throughout history, the surname Trowbridge has been associated with various notable individuals across different fields, from law and religion to literature and commerce, reflecting its deep-rooted English heritage and the influence of those who carried the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Trowbridge

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

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

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

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