2000
#3,526
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,257
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.43
Uncommon Last name
Truitt
An English occupational surname referring to a loyal or trustworthy person, derived from the Middle English word "trewe."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,574 Americans carry the last name Truitt. That puts it at #3,748 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 32,415 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Truitt 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
11K
1 in 32,415
Census rank
#3,748
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.2K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,221 bearers of the surname Truitt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3748th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Truitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.4%. The next largest groups are Black (21.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Truitt
The surname Truitt is believed to have originated in England in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "trew," meaning "true" or "loyal," and "hitt," which means "a person." The name likely referred to someone who was considered a trustworthy or loyal individual.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1191, where it is spelled "Truet." This document was a record of financial transactions and accounts kept by the English government during the Middle Ages.
In the 13th century, the name can be found in various records from counties such as Somerset, Dorset, and Devon, suggesting that the name was prevalent in the southwestern regions of England during this time period. Variations in spelling, such as "Truitt," "Truite," and "Trewet," were common due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
In the 14th century, the surname Truitt appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, where it is listed as "Truyet." These rolls were records of taxes collected by the English government from individuals.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Truitt was Thomas Truitt, who was born in Somerset, England, around 1520. He was a farmer and landowner in the village of Curry Rivel.
Another notable figure in the history of the Truitt surname was Sir William Truitt (1585-1659), a member of the English gentry and a supporter of the Parliamentarian cause during the English Civil War.
In the 17th century, the name Truitt can be found in various parish records and court documents from counties such as Somerset, Devon, and Dorset. One example is John Truitt (1620-1695), a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Bridgwater, Somerset.
During the colonial era, several individuals with the surname Truitt emigrated from England to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of William Truitt (1635-1711), who settled in Virginia in the late 17th century and became a successful tobacco planter.
Another notable figure in the history of the Truitt surname was Benjamin Truitt (1743-1819), a farmer and soldier from Maryland who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
Throughout the centuries, the Truitt surname has been associated with various professions, including farming, trade, military service, and politics. While the name has retained its English roots, it has also become well-established in other parts of the world, particularly in the United States, where many descendants of the early Truitt settlers continue to bear the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Truitt
Among Census respondents with the surname Truitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.4%. The next largest groups are Black (21.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Truitt 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 Truitt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.4% · 6,398
- Black or African American21.9% · 2,015
- Two or more races4.6% · 425
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 257
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 75
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 51
Timeline
Historical Census data for Truitt
Truitt 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
#3,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,557
+300 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 3.24
Rank movement Down 186 places
2020
#3,748
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,221
-336 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 3.08
Rank movement Down 36 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,526 | 9,257 | 3.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,712 | 9,557 | 3.24 | +300 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 186 places |
| 2020 | #3,748 | 9,221 | 3.08 | -336 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 36 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 Truitt 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 | #3,712 | #3,748 | -1.0% |
| Count | 9,557 | 9,221 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 3.24 | 3.08 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Truitt bearers went from 9,557 to 9,221 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 36 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,712 to #3,748.
FAQ
Truitt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Truitt?
Name Census estimates that about 10,574 living Americans carry the surname Truitt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 32,415 residents.
How common is Truitt?
Truitt ranks #3,748 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.08 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 9,221 people with the surname Truitt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,574), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.08 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 Truitt.
Has Truitt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Truitt went from 9,557 recorded bearers to 9,221. That is a decrease of 336 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,712 to #3,748.
What does the Census say about the background of Truitt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Truitt, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.4%. The next largest groups are Black (21.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Truitt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.4% (6,398 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Truitt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.4%), Black (21.9%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Truitt (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 Truitt mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a loyal or trustworthy person, derived from the Middle English word "trewe." 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 Truitt (3.08 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 share the surname Truitt?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.