Explore the Family Name Trunk

The meaning of Trunk

1. German: nickname for a heavy drinker, from Middle High German trunc ‘drink’, from trinken ‘to drink’. It is also found in Slovenia. 2. Jewish (Ashkenazic): metonymic occupational name or nickname from German Trunk ‘drink’ (see 1 above). 3. English (Durham): nickname from Middle English trunk, tronk ‘trunk of a tree or human body; storage chest, coffer’. This surname is rare in Britain and Ireland. Some characteristic forenames: German Erhard.

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

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

According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname 'Trunk' slightly declined over a decade. From 2000 to 2010, it dropped in rank from 27,802 to 29,366, marking a decrease of 5.63%. The count of people with this surname also experienced a minor drop of 1.11%, going down from 814 in 2000 to 805 in 2010. Consequently, the proportion of individuals with the 'Trunk' surname per 100,000 also witnessed a 10% decline.

20002010Change
Rank#27,802#29,366-5.63%
Count814805-1.11%
Proportion per 100k0.30.27-10%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Trunk

The ethnic identities associated with the surname 'Trunk' saw some shifts between 2000 and 2010. As per the Decennial U.S. Census, there was no record of Asian/Pacific Islander individuals with this surname in 2000, but by 2010, they made up 0.99% of those with the 'Trunk' name. People identifying as two or more races also increased from 0.61% to 1.12%, showing a significant increase of 83.61%. However, there was a slight decrease in the percentage of white individuals carrying the 'Trunk' surname, falling from 96.68% in 2000 to 93.66% in 2010. Interestingly, Hispanic representation doubled, increasing from 1.72% to 3.48%. The percentage of black individuals with this surname decreased to zero in 2010, from 0.61% in 2000. There were no records of American Indian and Alaskan Native individuals with the 'Trunk' surname in either year.

20002010Change
White96.68%93.66%-3.12%
Hispanic1.72%3.48%102.33%
Two or More Races0.61%1.12%83.61%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0.99%0%
Black0.61%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%