Explore the Family Name Trask

The meaning of Trask

English (Somerset): variant of Thirsk, a habitational name for someone from Thirsk in Yorkshire, named from an unattested Old Norse word, thresk ‘marsh’.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Trask in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Trask slightly decreased from 2000 to 2010. In the year 2000, it was ranked as the 5447th most common surname in the United States with 5,878 individuals bearing it. This equated to 2.18 people per 100,000 residents. By 2010, even though the count increased to 6,162, the rank dropped to the 5639th position and the proportion per 100,000 also dipped by 4.13% to 2.09.

20002010Change
Rank#5,447#5,639-3.52%
Count5,8786,1624.83%
Proportion per 100k2.182.09-4.13%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Trask

In terms of ethnicity, the majority of individuals with the Trask surname identified as White, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. However, there was a slight decrease in this demographic from 90.93% in 2000 to 89.18% in 2010. The Hispanic representation saw the greatest increase of 71.43%, rising from 1.19% in 2000 to 2.04% in 2010. There was also an increase in those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black, while the American Indian and Alaskan Native population showed a decline. Those identifying with two or more races also experienced an uptick from 1.36% to 1.75%.

20002010Change
White90.93%89.18%-1.92%
Black5.29%5.52%4.35%
Hispanic1.19%2.04%71.43%
Two or More Races1.36%1.75%28.68%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.77%1.17%51.95%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.46%0.34%-26.09%

Trask ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Trask is British & Irish, which comprises 53.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (24.4%) and Eastern European (5.0%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Indigenous American, and Chinese.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish53.9%
French & German24.4%
Eastern European5.0%
Other16.7%
Trask

Possible origins of the surname Trask

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Trask have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Glasgow City, United Kingdom87.00%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom87.00%
Lancashire, United Kingdom87.00%
Greater London, United Kingdom87.00%
Merseyside, United Kingdom86.30%

What Trask haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Trask is R-P311, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P311 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z156 and R-M405, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Atherton, Spinks, Pressley, Cann, Armstrong, Keim, Brantley, Chance, Packer, Collette.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Trask surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

traskPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Trask have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Trask

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Trask" Surname 37.5%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Trask

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Trask" Surname 31.2%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Trask

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Trask" Surname 19.0%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Trask

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Trask" Surname 14.3%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Trask?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Trask are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%