2000
#12,739
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,224
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Trottier
A French occupational surname referring to a runner, messenger, or one who traveled on foot.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,548 Americans carry the last name Trottier. That puts it at #13,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 134,519 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Trottier 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
2.5K
1 in 134,519
Census rank
#13,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,222 bearers of the surname Trottier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Trottier, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (9.6%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Trottier
The surname Trottier originates from France, specifically the Normandy region, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "trotier," which means a messenger or a courier who travels on foot.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Trottier can be found in various historical documents from the 12th and 13th centuries in Normandy. One notable example is the inclusion of the name in the Livre des Bourgeois de Rouen, a register of the citizens of Rouen, in the 14th century.
The name Trottier is believed to have been initially an occupational surname, given to individuals who worked as messengers or couriers, carrying important messages and documents between towns and villages. As these messengers often traversed long distances on foot, the name became associated with their profession.
In the 16th century, the surname Trottier appeared in the records of the town of Dieppe, a prominent port city in Normandy. Jacques Trottier, born in 1532, was a notable merchant and ship owner from Dieppe, who played a significant role in the town's maritime trade.
During the 17th century, the name Trottier gained prominence in the French colony of New France (present-day Canada). One of the earliest settlers with this surname was Guillaume Trottier, who arrived in Quebec in 1665. He became a prominent figure in the colony and his descendants played vital roles in the development of various regions, particularly in the Richelieu Valley and the Montreal area.
Another notable figure with the surname Trottier was Michel Trottier, born in 1709 in Montreal. He was a successful merchant and landowner, who played an influential role in the economic and social life of the colony.
In the 19th century, Louis Trottier, born in 1823 in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, was a renowned architect and engineer. He designed numerous churches, schools, and public buildings throughout the province, leaving a lasting architectural legacy.
During the 20th century, several individuals with the surname Trottier achieved recognition in various fields. For example, Léo Trottier, born in 1914 in Quebec, was a renowned businessman and philanthropist, who founded the Trottier Family Foundation, which supports educational initiatives and scientific research.
The surname Trottier has a rich history, originating from an occupational name in medieval France and later spreading to other parts of the world, particularly through the French colonial expansion in North America. Despite its humble beginnings, the name has been associated with notable individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Trottier
Among Census respondents with the surname Trottier, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (9.6%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Trottier 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 Trottier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.7% · 1,772
- American Indian and Alaska Native9.6% · 214
- Two or more races5.3% · 117
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 89
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 19
- Black or African American0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Trottier
Trottier 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
#13,462
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,262
+38 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 723 places
2020
#13,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,222
-40 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 280 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,739 | 2,224 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,462 | 2,262 | 0.77 | +38 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 723 places |
| 2020 | #13,182 | 2,222 | 0.74 | -40 bearers (-1.8%) | Up 280 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 Trottier 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 | #13,462 | #13,182 | 2.1% |
| Count | 2,262 | 2,222 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.74 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Trottier bearers went from 2,262 to 2,222 (-1.8% change). The surname moved up 280 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,462 to #13,182.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Trottier
FAQ
Trottier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Trottier?
Name Census estimates that about 2,548 living Americans carry the surname Trottier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 134,519 residents.
How common is Trottier?
Trottier ranks #13,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 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 2,222 people with the surname Trottier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,548), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 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 Trottier.
Has Trottier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Trottier went from 2,262 recorded bearers to 2,222. That is a decrease of 40 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,462 to #13,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Trottier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Trottier, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.7%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (9.6%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Trottier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.7% (1,772 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Trottier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (9.6%), Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Trottier (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 Trottier mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a runner, messenger, or one who traveled on foot. 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 Trottier (0.74 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 many people are called Trottier?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Trottier is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.