2000
#9,889
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,011
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.12
Rare Last name
Trumble
Derived from a place name meaning "strongly-built house" in Old English or from a nickname meaning "strongly-built" person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,483 Americans carry the last name Trumble. That puts it at #10,114 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,408 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Trumble 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Trumble with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 98,408
Census rank
#10,114
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,037 bearers of the surname Trumble in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10114th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Trumble, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Black (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Trumble
The surname Trumble is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "trumbel," which referred to a small drum or trumpet. This name originated in the medieval period, when it was likely used as a descriptive nickname for someone who played a drum or trumpet, perhaps as a town crier or musician.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Trumble can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, where a certain Robert Trumbel is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in the English Midlands by the late 13th century.
In the 14th century, variations of the spelling appeared, such as Trumbyll and Trumbulle. These were likely influenced by the Norman-French spelling conventions of the time. The surname is also found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, where it is recorded as Trumbell.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John Trumble, a member of the Worshipful Company of Bowyers (makers of bows and arrows) in London, who was mentioned in the company's records in 1437.
Another notable individual with this surname was Sir William Trumble, a prominent merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1562. He was born in Gloucestershire in 1510 and played an influential role in the city's affairs during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, the surname spread to the American colonies, with several Trumble families settling in New England. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of John Trumble, who arrived in Rowley, Massachusetts, in 1639.
A famous bearer of the name was John Trumbull (1756-1843), an American artist known for his historical paintings depicting scenes from the American Revolutionary War. He was born in Lebanon, Connecticut, and is considered one of the founders of American art.
Another notable figure was Lyman Trumbull (1813-1896), a US Senator from Illinois who played a key role in the passing of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. He was also a co-founder of the Republican Party and served as a Justice of the United States Supreme Court.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Trumble
Among Census respondents with the surname Trumble, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Black (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Trumble 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 Trumble surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.7% · 2,723
- Two or more races3.9% · 118
- Black or African American2.7% · 83
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 72
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Trumble
Trumble 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
#9,800
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,303
+292 bearers (+9.7%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Up 89 places
2020
#10,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,037
-266 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 314 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,889 | 3,011 | 1.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,800 | 3,303 | 1.12 | +292 bearers (+9.7%) | Up 89 places |
| 2020 | #10,114 | 3,037 | 1.02 | -266 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 314 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 Trumble 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 | #9,800 | #10,114 | -3.2% |
| Count | 3,303 | 3,037 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.12 | 1.02 | -9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Trumble bearers went from 3,303 to 3,037 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 314 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,800 to #10,114.
FAQ
Trumble surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Trumble?
Name Census estimates that about 3,483 living Americans carry the surname Trumble. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,408 residents.
How common is Trumble?
Trumble ranks #10,114 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,037 people with the surname Trumble. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,483), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Trumble.
Has Trumble become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Trumble went from 3,303 recorded bearers to 3,037. That is a decrease of 266 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,800 to #10,114.
What does the Census say about the background of Trumble?
Among Census respondents with the surname Trumble, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Black (2.7%). 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 Trumble in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.7% (2,723 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Trumble appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.7%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Black (2.7%). 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 Trumble (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 Trumble mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "strongly-built house" in Old English or from a nickname meaning "strongly-built" person. 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 Trumble (1.02 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 common is the surname Trumble?
You can see how many people are called Trumble on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.