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

Trunk, 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 Trunk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Trunk in America

Trunk is the 29366th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Trunk surname appeared 805 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Trunk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Trunk 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 Trunk

The surname Trunk is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "trunke," which referred to a tree trunk or log. This suggests that the name likely originated as an occupational surname for a woodcutter, lumberjack, or someone who worked with wood.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Trunk can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a person named Robert Trunk. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled in England during the reign of King Edward I.

In the 14th century, the surname Trunk appeared in various forms, such as Trunke, Trunck, and Truncke, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that time. Some of these variants may have been influenced by place names, such as Trunch, a village in Norfolk, England.

One notable person with the surname Trunk was John Trunk (c. 1555-1600), an English composer and lutenist who served as a musician in the court of Queen Elizabeth I. His compositions for lute and voice were highly regarded during the Renaissance period.

In the 17th century, the surname Trunk was found in various parts of England, including London, where Thomas Trunk (1611-1677) was a renowned printer and publisher. He was responsible for printing several important works, including the first edition of John Milton's "Paradise Lost" in 1667.

Another individual of note was William Trunk (1701-1768), an English author and playwright who wrote several comedies and tragedies that were performed in London theaters during the 18th century.

In the 19th century, the surname Trunk was carried by individuals such as John Trunk (1824-1891), a British engineer who played a significant role in the construction of the London Underground railway system.

One of the most famous individuals with the surname Trunk was Sir Howard Trunk (1870-1952), a British naval officer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and held various government positions during the early 20th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Trunk

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

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

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

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