2000
#4,125
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,940
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.94
Rare Last name
Troy
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "foot soldier" in Old French.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,745 Americans carry the last name Troy. That puts it at #4,522 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,194 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Troy 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Troy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.7K
1 in 39,194
Census rank
#4,522
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,626 bearers of the surname Troy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4522nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Troy, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.8%. The next largest groups are Black (14.7%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Troy
The surname Troy has its roots in England and France, originating in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "troie," which means a hamlet or small village. This name may have been given to someone who lived in a small settlement or hamlet.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name was spelled as "Troye" in this historical document.
During the 13th century, the name Troy was also associated with the city of Troy in ancient Greece, as depicted in Homer's Iliad. This connection may have added a sense of nobility and heroism to the surname.
In the 14th century, the surname Troy appeared in several English records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it was spelled as "Troye." This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.
One notable individual with the surname Troy was Sir John Troy, a Welsh soldier and military leader who lived in the late 14th century. He played a significant role in the Hundred Years' War and was knighted for his bravery on the battlefield.
Another prominent figure was Sir Robert Troy, an English politician and Member of Parliament who lived in the 16th century. He served as a Member of Parliament for Wigan during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, the surname Troy was associated with several place names in England, such as Troy Town in Monmouthshire and Troy Farm in Wiltshire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself or vice versa.
During the 18th century, the name Troy gained prominence in Ireland. One notable Irish figure was John Troy, an Archbishop of Dublin who lived from 1739 to 1823. He played a significant role in the Catholic Church in Ireland during a period of religious tensions.
Another Irish individual with the surname Troy was Robert Troy, a politician and Member of Parliament who lived in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He represented the constituency of St. Johnstown in the Irish House of Commons.
As the centuries passed, the surname Troy continued to spread to different parts of the world, carried by individuals who emigrated from England, France, and Ireland. While its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, the name has endured and continues to hold a rich historical legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Troy
Among Census respondents with the surname Troy, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.8%. The next largest groups are Black (14.7%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Troy 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 Troy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.8% · 5,779
- Black or African American14.7% · 1,120
- Two or more races3.9% · 295
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 256
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 127
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 49
Timeline
Historical Census data for Troy
Troy 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
#4,383
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,109
+169 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 2.75
Rank movement Down 258 places
2020
#4,522
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,626
-483 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 2.55
Rank movement Down 139 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,125 | 7,940 | 2.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,383 | 8,109 | 2.75 | +169 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 258 places |
| 2020 | #4,522 | 7,626 | 2.55 | -483 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 139 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 Troy 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 | #4,383 | #4,522 | -3.2% |
| Count | 8,109 | 7,626 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.75 | 2.55 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Troy bearers went from 8,109 to 7,626 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 139 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,383 to #4,522.
FAQ
Troy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Troy?
Name Census estimates that about 8,745 living Americans carry the surname Troy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,194 residents.
How common is Troy?
Troy ranks #4,522 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.55 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,626 people with the surname Troy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,745), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.55 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Troy.
Has Troy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Troy went from 8,109 recorded bearers to 7,626. That is a decrease of 483 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,383 to #4,522.
What does the Census say about the background of Troy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Troy, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.8%. The next largest groups are Black (14.7%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Troy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.8% (5,779 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Troy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.8%), Black (14.7%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Troy (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 Troy mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "foot soldier" in Old French. 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 Troy (2.55 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 have the surname Troy?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.