2000
#59,916
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 315
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Trufant
A surname derived from the French words "trou" (hole) and "fente" (slit or crack), potentially referring to a person's occupation or place of origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 403 Americans carry the last name Trufant. That puts it at #61,734 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 850,507 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Trufant 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
403
1 in 850,507
Census rank
#61,734
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
351
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 351 bearers of the surname Trufant in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 61734th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Trufant, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.0%. The next largest groups are Black (29.9%) and Hispanic (8.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Trufant
The surname "TRUFANT" is believed to have originated in France, with its earliest known roots dating back to the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old French word "truffe," which means "truffle" or "mushroom." This suggests that the original bearers of the name may have been associated with the cultivation, trade, or consumption of truffles, a highly prized culinary delicacy.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the "Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Victor de Marseille," a collection of charters and documents from the 11th century. In this manuscript, a person named "Petrus de Trufando" is mentioned, indicating that the name had already been in use by that time.
During the 13th century, the name appears to have spread across various regions of France, particularly in the southern provinces. Records from this period often refer to individuals with the surname "Truffant" or "Trufant," which were likely alternative spellings or regional variations of the original name.
In the 14th century, a notable figure named Jean Trufant (c. 1320-1390) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Avignon. His successful business dealings and acquisition of properties contributed to the prestige and recognition of the Trufant name within the region.
Another individual of historical significance was Pierre Trufant (c. 1460-1530), a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the Rector of the University of Paris. His academic contributions and writings on theological matters earned him a respected reputation among his contemporaries.
In the 16th century, the name appears to have expanded beyond France, with records indicating the presence of individuals with the surname Trufant in neighboring countries such as Spain and Italy. One notable example is Antonio Trufant (c. 1550-1610), a Spanish merchant who established successful trading routes between Seville and the Americas.
During the 17th century, Jacques Trufant (1625-1698) was a French painter and engraver who gained recognition for his religious artwork and portraits commissioned by the French nobility. His artistic talents contributed to the cultural legacy associated with the Trufant name.
As the centuries passed, the Trufant surname continued to be found across various regions of Europe, with some individuals achieving notable roles in their respective fields, such as politics, academia, and the arts. However, the exact details and biographies of many of these historical figures remain obscured by the passage of time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Trufant
Among Census respondents with the surname Trufant, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.0%. The next largest groups are Black (29.9%) and Hispanic (8.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Trufant 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 Trufant surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White57.0% · 200
- Black or African American29.9% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino8.0% · 28
- Two or more races3.1% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Trufant
Trufant 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
#58,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 349
+34 bearers (+10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 1,734 places
2020
#61,734
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 351
+2 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 3,552 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #59,916 | 315 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #58,182 | 349 | 0.12 | +34 bearers (+10.8%) | Up 1,734 places |
| 2020 | #61,734 | 351 | 0.12 | +2 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 3,552 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 Trufant 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 | #58,182 | #61,734 | -6.1% |
| Count | 349 | 351 | 0.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.12 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Trufant bearers went from 349 to 351 (+0.6% change). The surname moved down 3,552 positions in the national ranking, going from #58,182 to #61,734.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Trufant
FAQ
Trufant surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Trufant?
Name Census estimates that about 403 living Americans carry the surname Trufant. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 850,507 residents.
How common is Trufant?
Trufant ranks #61,734 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 351 people with the surname Trufant. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (403), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Trufant.
Has Trufant become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Trufant went from 349 recorded bearers to 351. That is an increase of 2 (+0.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #58,182 to #61,734.
What does the Census say about the background of Trufant?
Among Census respondents with the surname Trufant, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.0%. The next largest groups are Black (29.9%) and Hispanic (8.0%). 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 Trufant in the 2020 Census, accounting for 57.0% (200 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Trufant appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (57.0%), Black (29.9%), Hispanic (8.0%). 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 Trufant (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 Trufant mean?
A surname derived from the French words "trou" (hole) and "fente" (slit or crack), potentially referring to a person's occupation or place of origin. 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 Trufant (0.12 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 Trufant?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.