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

Truman, 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 Truman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Truman in America

Truman is the 6195th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Truman surname appeared 5,521 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Truman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Truman 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 Truman

The surname Truman has its origins in the Anglo-Saxon era of England, deriving from the Old English words "trum" and "mann," which together mean "strong man." It was a name bestowed upon individuals who displayed exceptional physical prowess or valor in battle.

During the medieval period, the Truman name was prevalent in various regions of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Variations of the spelling, such as Trewman and Trumann, were also common in historical records.

One of the earliest known references to the Truman name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landholdings in England following the Norman Conquest. The name appears in several entries, suggesting its establishment as a surname by that time.

Notable individuals bearing the Truman surname include Sir Thomas Truman (1638-1703), a prominent English merchant and philanthropist, and Benjamin Truman (1699-1780), a renowned brewer who founded the Truman Brewery in London.

In the United States, the most famous bearer of the Truman name was Harry S. Truman (1884-1972), the 33rd President of the United States. Truman's political career began in Missouri, where he served as a county judge and U.S. Senator before becoming Vice President under Franklin D. Roosevelt and ultimately ascending to the presidency.

Other notable Trumans throughout history include John Truman (1701-1760), an English clergyman and author, and Thomas Truman (1785-1835), an English engraver and renowned book illustrator.

The Truman surname has also been associated with several place names, such as Truman, Minnesota, and Truman, Arkansas, both named after President Harry S. Truman. These place names serve as a testament to the enduring legacy of this storied surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Truman

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

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

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

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