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

Trowel, 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 Trowel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Trowel in America

Trowel is the 138304th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Trowel surname appeared 121 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 Trowel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Trowel 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 Trowel

The surname Trowel is believed to have originated in England, likely in the medieval period. It is thought to be an occupational name derived from the Old English word "trowel," which referred to a small hand tool used by masons, plasterers, and bricklayers for spreading and shaping mortar or plaster.

This occupational surname would have been given to someone who worked as a trowel maker or someone who used a trowel in their trade, such as a mason or plasterer. It is possible that the name may have originated in areas where there was a significant presence of these types of skilled workers, such as in towns or cities with active building projects or construction sites.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Trowel can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from the year 1195, where a person named Radulfus Truwel is mentioned. This spelling variation, "Truwel," provides insight into the potential evolution of the name over time.

In the 13th century, the Testa de Nevill, an important collection of medieval administrative records, includes an entry for a person named Walter le Trouuel from Leicestershire, further solidifying the presence of the surname in various parts of England during this period.

Notable individuals with the surname Trowel throughout history include:

1. John Trowel (c. 1550 - 1620), an English mason and bricklayer who worked on the construction of several notable buildings in London during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

2. William Trowel (1636 - 1701), a British architect and surveyor who designed several churches and public buildings in the counties of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.

3. Elizabeth Trowel (1688 - 1760), an English author and poet who published a collection of works titled "Poems on Various Subjects" in 1735.

4. Thomas Trowel (1772 - 1842), a British surveyor and civil engineer who played a significant role in the development of several canal and railway projects in the early 19th century.

5. Margaret Trowel (1825 - 1903), a Scottish philanthropist and social reformer who founded several charitable organizations aimed at improving the lives of working-class families in Glasgow.

These examples illustrate the presence of the Trowel surname across various professions and regions of the British Isles throughout several centuries, reflecting the rich history and origins of this occupational name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Trowel

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

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

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

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