2000
#10,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,965
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.10
Rare Last name
Troxel
Derived from the German surname Tröxel, referring to someone who lived near a stream or small river.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,344 Americans carry the last name Troxel. That puts it at #10,500 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 102,498 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Troxel 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
3.3K
1 in 102,498
Census rank
#10,500
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,916 bearers of the surname Troxel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10500th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Troxel, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Troxel
The surname Troxel is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Bavaria. Its roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 12th or 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German word "trog," which means a trough or a vessel used for holding liquids or grain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Troxel can be found in the German town of Tröstau, located in the district of Wunsiedel, Bavaria. It is believed that the name initially referred to someone who lived near a trough or a water source. Over time, the name evolved into various spellings, such as Tröxel, Troxler, and Troxler.
In the 16th century, the Troxel name appeared in several historical records, including the Bavarian church registers and tax rolls. One notable figure from this period was Hans Troxel, a landowner and farmer who lived in the village of Unterreuth, near Tröstau, in the late 1500s.
As the German population migrated to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas, the Troxel surname spread across various regions. In the late 18th century, Johann Troxel, born in 1762, was among the first recorded Troxels to settle in Pennsylvania, United States.
Another prominent individual with the Troxel surname was Johann Georg Troxler, a Swiss philosopher and physician born in 1780 in Beromünster, Switzerland. He was known for his contributions to the field of medicine and his teachings on natural philosophy.
In the 19th century, the Troxel name gained recognition in the United States, particularly in the state of Pennsylvania. John Troxel, born in 1822, was a prominent businessman and landowner in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He owned several farms and was actively involved in the local community.
The Troxel family also played a role in the American Civil War. Henry Troxel, born in 1840 in Pennsylvania, served as a private in the Union Army during the conflict. He fought in several major battles, including the Battle of Gettysburg.
Another noteworthy figure with the Troxel surname was William Troxel, born in 1853 in Pennsylvania. He was a successful entrepreneur and inventor, known for his contributions to the development of agricultural machinery and tools, such as the Troxel Cultivator.
While the Troxel surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and other countries with significant German immigration. The name continues to hold historical significance and a rich heritage tied to its origins in the Bavarian region of Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Troxel
Among Census respondents with the surname Troxel, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Troxel 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 Troxel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 2,642
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 122
- Two or more races3.4% · 99
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 25
- Black or African American0.5% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Troxel
Troxel 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
#10,572
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,032
+67 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Down 544 places
2020
#10,500
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,916
-116 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.98
Rank movement Up 72 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,028 | 2,965 | 1.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,572 | 3,032 | 1.03 | +67 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 544 places |
| 2020 | #10,500 | 2,916 | 0.98 | -116 bearers (-3.8%) | Up 72 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 Troxel 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 | #10,572 | #10,500 | 0.7% |
| Count | 3,032 | 2,916 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.03 | 0.98 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Troxel bearers went from 3,032 to 2,916 (-3.8% change). The surname moved up 72 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,572 to #10,500.
FAQ
Troxel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Troxel?
Name Census estimates that about 3,344 living Americans carry the surname Troxel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 102,498 residents.
How common is Troxel?
Troxel ranks #10,500 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.98 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,916 people with the surname Troxel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,344), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.98 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Troxel.
Has Troxel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Troxel went from 3,032 recorded bearers to 2,916. That is a decrease of 116 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,572 to #10,500.
What does the Census say about the background of Troxel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Troxel, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Troxel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (2,642 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Troxel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Hispanic (4.2%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Troxel (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 Troxel mean?
Derived from the German surname Tröxel, referring to someone who lived near a stream or small river. 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 Troxel (0.98 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 Americans have the surname Troxel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.