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

Trueba, 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 Trueba surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Trueba in America

Trueba is the 39352nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Trueba surname appeared 559 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 Trueba.

We can also compare 2010 data for Trueba 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 Trueba

The surname Trueba originated in the northern Spanish region of Cantabria, specifically in the town of Torrelavega, during the early medieval period. It is derived from the Basque word "trueba," meaning "stream" or "creek," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a stream or waterway.

The earliest known record of the Trueba surname dates back to the 11th century, when it appeared in a monastery's record book in the town of Liébana, located in the eastern part of Cantabria. This document mentioned a person named Gonzalo Trueba, who was likely a landowner or an influential figure in the region.

In the 13th century, the Trueba name was found in several historical documents related to the Cantabrian nobility, indicating that the family had gained prominence and possibly held lands or titles. One notable example is Pedro Trueba, a knight who fought alongside King Alfonso VIII of Castile during the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Trueba surname spread beyond Cantabria as members of the family migrated to other parts of Spain, as well as to the Americas during the Spanish colonization. One significant figure from this era was Juan de Trueba, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru under Francisco Pizarro in the 1530s.

In the 18th century, Antonio de Trueba y la Quintana (1786-1835) was a notable Spanish writer and poet from Cantabria, known for his works that celebrated the region's folklore and traditions. His literary contributions helped solidify the Trueba name's cultural significance in Spain.

Another influential figure was Telesforo Trueba y Cosío (1799-1835), a politician and lawyer from Santander, Cantabria, who played a role in the drafting of the Spanish Constitution of 1812 during the Cortes de Cádiz.

In the 19th century, Juan de la Cruz Trueba y Cosío (1809-1887) was a prominent Spanish politician and historian who served as the Minister of Public Works and later as the Mayor of Madrid.

The Trueba surname has also been carried by notable individuals in the arts and literature, such as the Spanish novelist and playwright Antonio de Trueba (1819-1889), known for his depictions of rural life in Cantabria, and the Mexican novelist and critic Jorge Arturo Trueba Lawther (1944-2022), who was recognized for his contributions to Latin American literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Trueba

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

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

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

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