2000
#7,987
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,837
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.42
Rare Last name
Trusty
A surname derived from a nickname for a trustworthy or reliable person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,480 Americans carry the last name Trusty. That puts it at #8,114 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 76,508 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Trusty 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 Trusty with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.5K
1 in 76,508
Census rank
#8,114
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,907 bearers of the surname Trusty in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8114th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Trusty, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.6%. The next largest groups are Black (17.7%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Trusty
The surname Trusty is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, likely deriving from the Old English word "trēowe," which means "true" or "faithful." It was likely a descriptive nickname given to someone who was deemed trustworthy or reliable.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Trusty surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, a census-like record from 1273, which lists a William le Trew. This spelling variation suggests the name's connection to the Old English word for "true."
In the 14th century, the Trusty surname appeared in various records across different counties in England. For instance, the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1327 mention a John Trewe, while the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379 list a Thomas Trewe.
The surname's evolution can also be traced through its appearance in historical documents and records. In the 15th century, the Trusty surname was recorded as "Trustye" in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondences from the prominent Paston family of Norfolk.
One notable historical figure with the Trusty surname was Sir Roger Trusty (c. 1485-1556), a Welsh soldier and landowner who served as the High Sheriff of Anglesey. He played a role in suppressing the Pilgrimage of Grace, a major uprising against the English government in the reign of Henry VIII.
Another individual worth mentioning is John Trusty (c. 1600-1680), an English clergyman who served as the Rector of Piddle Trenthide in Dorset. He was known for his religious writings and sermons.
The Trusty surname also has connections to various place names in England. For example, the village of Trusthorpe in Lincolnshire is believed to have derived its name from the Old English words "treow" (tree) and "thorpe" (village), suggesting a connection to the Trusty surname's origins.
Other notable individuals with the Trusty surname include William Trusty (1784-1853), an English engraver and painter, and Francis Trusty (1793-1865), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London.
Throughout history, the Trusty surname has been found in various spellings, including Trewe, Trew, Trusti, and Trustye, reflecting the linguistic evolution and regional variations in different areas of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Trusty
Among Census respondents with the surname Trusty, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.6%. The next largest groups are Black (17.7%) and Two or More Races (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Trusty 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 Trusty surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.6% · 2,835
- Black or African American17.7% · 693
- Two or more races5.4% · 210
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 112
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 31
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Trusty
Trusty 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
#7,950
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,163
+326 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 1.41
Rank movement Up 37 places
2020
#8,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,907
-256 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 1.31
Rank movement Down 164 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,987 | 3,837 | 1.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,950 | 4,163 | 1.41 | +326 bearers (+8.5%) | Up 37 places |
| 2020 | #8,114 | 3,907 | 1.31 | -256 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 164 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 Trusty 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 | #7,950 | #8,114 | -2.1% |
| Count | 4,163 | 3,907 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.41 | 1.31 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Trusty bearers went from 4,163 to 3,907 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 164 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,950 to #8,114.
FAQ
Trusty surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Trusty?
Name Census estimates that about 4,480 living Americans carry the surname Trusty. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 76,508 residents.
How common is Trusty?
Trusty ranks #8,114 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.31 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 3,907 people with the surname Trusty. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,480), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.31 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 Trusty.
Has Trusty become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Trusty went from 4,163 recorded bearers to 3,907. That is a decrease of 256 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,950 to #8,114.
What does the Census say about the background of Trusty?
Among Census respondents with the surname Trusty, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.6%. The next largest groups are Black (17.7%) and Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Trusty in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.6% (2,835 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Trusty appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.6%), Black (17.7%), Two or More Races (5.4%). 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 Trusty (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 Trusty mean?
A surname derived from a nickname for a trustworthy or reliable 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 Trusty (1.31 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 Trusty?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Trusty on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.