2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Trumpet
An occupational surname derived from the musical instrument trumpet.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Trumpet. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Trumpet 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Trumpet in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Trumpet, the largest self-reported group is Black at 76.5%. The next largest groups are White (9.6%) and Two or More Races (8.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Trumpet
The surname Trumpet is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "trumpe," which referred to the musical instrument. This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname, given to someone who played the trumpet or made trumpets.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Trumpet can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which lists a Robert le Trumpour. The use of the "le" prefix indicates that this was likely an occupational surname at the time. Other early spellings of the name include Trumpere and Trompour, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common before standardized spelling became widespread.
In the 14th century, the name Trumpet appears in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1346, which mentions a John Trumpour. This record suggests that the name had spread to other parts of England by this time.
The Trumpet surname is also found in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire from 1327, which lists a Robert le Trumpour. This further reinforces the occupational origins of the name and its presence in different regions of England during the medieval period.
One notable individual with the surname Trumpet was John Trumpet, a member of the Parliament of England who lived in the late 15th century. He was born in Worcestershire around 1440 and served as a Member of Parliament for Evesham in 1478.
Another individual of historical significance was Richard Trumpet, a English composer and organist who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was born in Uppingham, Rutland, around 1565 and served as the organist at the Collegiate Church of St. Peter in Westminster from 1597 until his death in 1639.
In the 17th century, the name Trumpet appears in the Parish Registers of Stoke-by-Nayland, Suffolk, which record the birth of Thomas Trumpet in 1634. This indicates that the name had continued to be used in various parts of England over several centuries.
The surname Trumpet can also be found in the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 17th century, suggesting that individuals with this name had emigrated to the American colonies during that time period.
Another notable figure with the Trumpet surname was William Trumpet, an English mathematician and astronomer who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was born in Cruxton, Lincolnshire, in 1667 and made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the calculation of eclipses.
While the surname Trumpet is relatively uncommon today, its origins can be traced back to medieval England, where it likely began as an occupational name for those who played or made trumpets. Over the centuries, the name has appeared in various historical records and been associated with individuals who have made notable contributions in fields such as politics, music, and science.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Trumpet
Among Census respondents with the surname Trumpet, the largest self-reported group is Black at 76.5%. The next largest groups are White (9.6%) and Two or More Races (8.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Trumpet 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 Trumpet surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American76.5% · 88
- White9.6% · 11
- Two or more races8.7% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Trumpet
Trumpet 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+20 bearers (+19.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,917 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-7 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,430 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +20 bearers (+19.6%) | Up 10,917 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 8,430 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 Trumpet 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 | #137,327 | #145,757 | -6.1% |
| Count | 122 | 115 | -5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Trumpet bearers went from 122 to 115 (-5.7% change). The surname moved down 8,430 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #145,757.
FAQ
Trumpet surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Trumpet?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Trumpet. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Trumpet?
Trumpet ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 115 people with the surname Trumpet. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Trumpet.
Has Trumpet become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Trumpet went from 122 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Trumpet?
Among Census respondents with the surname Trumpet, the largest self-reported group is Black at 76.5%. The next largest groups are White (9.6%) and Two or More Races (8.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Trumpet in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.5% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Trumpet appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (76.5%), White (9.6%), Two or More Races (8.7%). 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 Trumpet (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 Trumpet mean?
An occupational surname derived from the musical instrument trumpet. 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 Trumpet (0.04 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 Trumpet?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Trumpet on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.