NameCensus.

UK surname

Trask

A surname of Cornish origin derived from the Old English elements meaning "trash" or "outcasts" and "ash tree."

In the 1881 census there were 333 people recorded with the Trask surname, ranking it #9,038 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 383, ranked #12,269, down from #9,038 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Odcombe, Brimpton, Middle and West Chinnock and Coker, West. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Torfaen, Sandwell and West Berkshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Trask is 421 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 15.0%.

1881 census count

333

Ranked #9,038

Modern count

383

2016, ranked #12,269

Peak year

1901

421 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Trask had 333 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,038 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 383 in 2016, ranked #12,269.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 421 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Trask surname distribution map

The map shows where the Trask surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Trask surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Trask over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 221 #9,630
1861 historical 208 #11,642
1881 historical 333 #9,038
1891 historical 260 #12,367
1901 historical 421 #9,141
1911 historical 406 #9,196
1997 modern 378 #11,474
1998 modern 388 #11,612
1999 modern 414 #11,156
2000 modern 401 #11,382
2001 modern 398 #11,276
2002 modern 411 #11,208
2003 modern 393 #11,401
2004 modern 390 #11,495
2005 modern 364 #12,008
2006 modern 373 #11,854
2007 modern 367 #12,152
2008 modern 374 #12,086
2009 modern 396 #11,815
2010 modern 404 #11,902
2011 modern 390 #12,089
2012 modern 381 #12,152
2013 modern 394 #12,064
2014 modern 392 #12,192
2015 modern 389 #12,165
2016 modern 383 #12,269

Geography

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Where Trasks are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Odcombe, Brimpton, Middle and West Chinnock, Coker, West, London parishes and Chinnock, East. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Torfaen, Sandwell, West Berkshire, Mendip and Pembrokeshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Odcombe, Brimpton Somerset
2 Middle and West Chinnock Somerset
3 Coker, West Somerset
4 London parishes London 3
5 Chinnock, East Somerset

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Torfaen 010 Torfaen
2 Sandwell 011 Sandwell
3 West Berkshire 007 West Berkshire
4 Mendip 007 Mendip
5 Pembrokeshire 013 Pembrokeshire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Trask

These lists show first names that appear often with the Trask surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Trask

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Trask, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Trask surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Trask household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Trask is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Trask is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Trask falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Trask is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Trask, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Trask

The surname Trask is of English origin and dates back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "trasc," which means "trash" or "fallen branch." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who lived near or worked with fallen branches or discarded materials.

The earliest known record of the name dates back to 1273, where it appears as "William Trask" in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk. During the Middle Ages, the name was primarily concentrated in the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex in eastern England.

In the 16th century, the Trask surname began to spread to other parts of England, with records showing individuals bearing the name in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. One notable example is William Trask, a Puritan minister who was born in 1584 in Somersetshire and later emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1637.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners in England compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Trask surname. However, it does mention several place names that may have influenced the development of the surname, such as Trescha and Treschet.

In the 17th century, the Trask surname gained prominence in New England, where several individuals with this name played significant roles in the region's history. One such person was Joseph Trask (1679-1759), a prominent landowner and judge in Hampton, New Hampshire.

Other notable individuals with the surname Trask include:

1. Benjamin Trask (1770-1831), an American merchant and shipowner from Salem, Massachusetts. 2. John Trask (1824-1879), an American philologist and linguist known for his work on the English language and its origins. 3. Blanche Trask (1881-1940), an American author and poet who wrote extensively about rural life in Maine. 4. Spencer Trask (1844-1909), an American banker and financier who co-founded the firm Trask & Baylies in New York City. 5. John Trask (1592-1672), an early Puritan settler in Massachusetts Bay Colony and one of the founders of the town of Beverly.

Throughout its history, the Trask surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Traske, Trast, Trasque, and Tresque. Additionally, some place names, such as Trask Island in Maine and Trask River in British Columbia, Canada, bear this surname, reflecting the geographical spread of individuals with this name.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Trask families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Trask surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Somerset leads with 188 Trasks recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.85x.

County Total Index
Somerset 188 35.85x
Surrey 28 1.76x
Hampshire 24 3.59x
Middlesex 20 0.61x
Wiltshire 13 4.51x
Glamorgan 9 1.59x
Kent 9 0.81x
Monmouthshire 9 3.82x
Devon 6 0.88x
Yorkshire 6 0.19x
Dorset 5 2.34x
Nottinghamshire 5 1.14x
Berkshire 2 0.82x
Cornwall 2 0.54x
Gloucestershire 2 0.31x
Derbyshire 1 0.20x
Lancashire 1 0.03x
Northamptonshire 1 0.33x
Renfrewshire 1 0.40x
Royal Navy 1 2.58x
Warwickshire 1 0.12x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Merriott in Somerset leads with 61 Trasks recorded in 1881 and an index of 3986.93x.

Place Total Index
Merriott 61 3986.93x
Odcombe 21 3000.00x
East Chinnock 13 2000.00x
Norton Sub Hamdon 12 2000.00x
West Coker 12 1121.50x
Middle Chinnock 10 5882.35x
Woodford 10 2040.82x
Camberwell 9 4.32x
Upper Llanvrechva 9 245.90x
East Coker 8 695.65x
Northwood 8 84.12x
Swarraton 8 5714.29x
Cardiff St Andrews 7 1093.75x
Charlton Horethorne 7 1320.75x
Deptford St Paul 7 8.16x
Hammersmith London 7 8.72x
Hardington Mandeville 7 985.92x
Pirbright 7 864.20x
West Chinnock 6 1276.60x
Bathwick 5 86.21x
Butleigh 5 581.40x
Crewkerne 5 89.77x
Ordsall 5 148.81x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 7.63x
Yeovil 5 46.90x
Islington London 4 1.27x
Lambeth 4 1.41x
Northington 4 1142.86x
Plympton St Mary 4 102.04x
Sherborne 4 63.49x
St Marylebone London 4 2.30x
South Petherton 3 110.70x
Brightside Bierlow 2 3.16x
Ecclesall Bierlow 2 3.05x
Gate Fulford 2 26.53x
Mylor 2 80.97x
Reading St Giles 2 8.34x
Streatham 2 8.27x
Westbury 2 29.76x
Aldershot 1 4.47x
Barnstaple 1 9.40x
Bexley 1 10.17x
Birmingham 1 0.37x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 1 1.66x
Chelsea London 1 1.02x
Clapham 1 2.46x
Crick 1 97.09x
Deptford St Nicholas 1 11.34x
Derby St Alkmund 1 6.54x
Devizes St Mary 1 34.36x
Houghton 1 208.33x
Kensington London 1 0.55x
Kilmalcolm 1 33.00x
Lidford 1 32.79x
Llanishen 1 192.31x
Mile End Old Town 1 1.94x
North Petherton 1 23.64x
Pendomer 1 1250.00x
Portsmouth 1 6.50x
Preston 1 128.21x
Royal Navy 1 3.01x
Salford 1 0.88x
Shepton Mallet 1 17.01x
South Barrow 1 714.29x
St Anne Soho London 1 5.38x
St Helens 1 20.62x
Taunton St Mary 1 10.38x
Walcot 1 3.58x
Wells St Cuthbert Out 1 23.70x
West Pennard 1 119.05x
Westbury On Trym 1 4.62x
Westminster St John 1 2.52x
Whitchurch 1 32.57x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Trask surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 22
Sarah 11
Alice 10
Susan 9
Elizabeth 8
Emma 8
Annie 7
Ellen 7
Harriet 6
Ann 5
Eliza 5
Emily 5
Jane 5
Louisa 5
Edith 4
Elisth. 3
Flora 3
Martha 3
Ada 2
Anne 2
Florence 2
Jean 2
Margaret 2
Rose 2
Beatrice 1
Charlotta 1
Charlotte 1
Dinah 1
E. 1
Elizth. 1
Elsie 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Florance 1
Hannah 1
Harriett 1
Hilda 1
Isabella 1
Julia 1
Katherine 1
Katie 1
Laura 1
Lillian 1
Lucy 1
Ludia 1
Maria 1
Marry 1
Matilda 1
Miriam 1
Winnifred 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Trask surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
William 21
John 18
Charles 10
George 10
James 8
Henry 7
Joseph 5
Wm. 5
Jno. 4
Thomas 4
Alfred 3
Hy. 3
Sampson 3
Samuel 3
Absalom 2
Arthur 2
Chas. 2
Edward 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Geo. 2
Job 2
Josh. 2
Robert 2
Robt. 2
Saml. 2
Walter 2
Arther 1
Benjamin 1
David 1
Edwin 1
Eli 1
Elijah 1
Enos 1
Frederick 1
Fredk. 1
Fredk.J. 1
Fredrick 1
Harold 1
Harry 1
Hedley 1
Hurbert 1
Isaiah 1
Jehu 1
Lewis 1
Lewllyn 1
Reginald 1
Ruben 1
Sidney 1
W. 1

FAQ

Trask surname: questions and answers

How common was the Trask surname in 1881?

In 1881, 333 people were recorded with the Trask surname. That placed it at #9,038 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Trask surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 383 in 2016. That gives Trask a modern rank of #12,269.

What does the Trask surname mean?

A surname of Cornish origin derived from the Old English elements meaning "trash" or "outcasts" and "ash tree."

What does the Trask map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Trask bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.