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

Trujillo, 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 Trujillo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Trujillo in America

Trujillo is the 448th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Trujillo surname appeared 73,664 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 25 people would have the surname Trujillo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Trujillo 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 Trujillo

The surname Trujillo originates from Spain, specifically from the region of Extremadura. It can be traced back to the late 15th century, around the time of the Spanish Reconquista. The name is derived from the town of Trujillo, located in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura.

The town of Trujillo itself takes its name from the Latin word "turgalium," which means "fertile land" or "fertile valley." This reference to the fertile landscape surrounding the town likely contributed to the name's evolution. Additionally, some historical records suggest that the name may have roots in the Visigothic language, with a possible connection to the word "turgilos," meaning "tower" or "fortified place."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Trujillo surname can be found in the Archivo General de Indias (General Archive of the Indies) in Seville, Spain. This archive contains documents from the Spanish colonial era, including records of conquistadors and settlers who ventured to the Americas. Among these documents, there are references to individuals bearing the surname Trujillo who participated in the exploration and conquest of the New World.

A notable figure with the Trujillo surname is Diego de Trujillo, a Spanish conquistador born in the late 15th century. He accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico and played a role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire. Another early Trujillo was Francisco de Trujillo, a Spanish explorer and soldier who participated in the conquest of Peru in the 16th century.

In the realm of literature, there is Juan Ruiz de Trujillo, a 16th-century Spanish author and poet known for his work "Libro de las Siete Partidas" (Book of the Seven Parts). This influential legal text was commissioned by King Alfonso X of Castile and played a significant role in shaping Spanish law.

Moving forward in history, Francisco de Trujillo y Pizarro (1674-1737) was a Spanish military officer and governor of Panama in the early 18th century. He was a descendant of the famous conquistador Francisco Pizarro, who led the conquest of the Inca Empire in Peru.

Another notable figure is María Trujillo de Velasco (1772-1846), a Spanish noblewoman and philanthropist known for her charitable works and support of educational institutions in her hometown of Trujillo, Spain.

Throughout its history, the surname Trujillo has been associated with various places and regions, often reflecting the migration patterns of those who bore the name. For example, the town of Trujillo Alto in Puerto Rico was founded by Spanish settlers with the Trujillo surname in the late 16th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Trujillo

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

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

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

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