NameCensus.

UK surname

Truman

Derived from the Middle English term "trueman," meaning an honest or trustworthy man.

In the 1881 census there were 1,872 people recorded with the Truman surname, ranking it #2,325 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,970, ranked #3,268, down from #2,325 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Sawley, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North West Leicestershire, Harborough and Waveney.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Truman is 2,330 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 5.2%.

1881 census count

1,872

Ranked #2,325

Modern count

1,970

2016, ranked #3,268

Peak year

1911

2,330 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Truman had 1,872 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #2,325 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,970 in 2016, ranked #3,268.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 2,330 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Truman surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Truman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Truman 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 1,065 #2,630
1861 historical 978 #2,843
1881 historical 1,872 #2,325
1891 historical 1,568 #2,833
1901 historical 2,088 #2,569
1911 historical 2,330 #2,188
1997 modern 2,049 #2,998
1998 modern 2,173 #2,948
1999 modern 2,161 #2,987
2000 modern 2,129 #3,008
2001 modern 2,087 #3,001
2002 modern 2,131 #3,008
2003 modern 2,083 #3,007
2004 modern 2,070 #3,030
2005 modern 2,021 #3,055
2006 modern 1,988 #3,112
2007 modern 2,028 #3,084
2008 modern 2,042 #3,093
2009 modern 2,102 #3,074
2010 modern 2,135 #3,098
2011 modern 2,092 #3,119
2012 modern 1,979 #3,214
2013 modern 2,028 #3,206
2014 modern 2,062 #3,180
2015 modern 2,016 #3,217
2016 modern 1,970 #3,268

Geography

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Where Trumans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Sawley, Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard, London parishes and Nottingham St Mary. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North West Leicestershire, Harborough, Waveney, Gedling and Forest of Dean. 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 Sawley Derbyshire
2 Lenton, Radford, Papplewick, Nuthall, Greasley, Brewhouse Yard Nottinghamshire
3 London parishes London 3
4 Nottingham St Mary Nottinghamshire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North West Leicestershire 013 North West Leicestershire
2 Harborough 010 Harborough
3 Waveney 003 Waveney
4 Gedling 002 Gedling
5 Forest of Dean 008 Forest of Dean

Forenames

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First names often paired with Truman

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Truman

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Truman, 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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Young Families and Mainstream Employment

Group

Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins

Within London, Truman is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector and Diverse Origins, part of Young Families and Mainstream Employment. 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

Scattered across London’s Inner and Outer suburbs, residents of these neighbourhoods are typically housed in the social rented sector. Although terraced and semi-detached houses predominate, more residents live in flats than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Neighbourhoods are more ethnically diverse than the Supergroup average. Those identifying as of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and some Black ethnicities are more prevalent. Europeans born in a overseas non-EU countries make up more of the lower proportion of residents identifying as White. Few residents are very old (85+). Employment in distribution, hotels and restaurants is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Many families in these neighbourhoods have young children. Housing is principally in the social rented sector, in terraced or semi-detached units. While over-all residential densities are low, overcrowding is also prevalent locally. Residents are drawn from a range of ethnic minorities, with many identifying as Black and above average numbers born in Africa. Numbers identifying as of Chinese, Indian or White ethnicity are below average. Levels of proficiency in English are below average. Levels of separation or divorce and incidence of disability are both above average. Education is typically limited to Level 1, 2, or apprenticeship qualifications. Few residents work in professional or managerial occupations but the employment structure is otherwise diverse: it includes skilled trades, caring, leisure and other service occupations, sales and customer service occupations, construction, and work as process, plant, and machine operatives.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Truman is most concentrated in decile 8 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

8
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Truman falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Truman 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 Truman, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Truman

The surname Truman has its origins in the Anglo-Saxon era of England, deriving from the Old English words "trum" and "mann," which together mean "strong man." It was a name bestowed upon individuals who displayed exceptional physical prowess or valor in battle.

During the medieval period, the Truman name was prevalent in various regions of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Variations of the spelling, such as Trewman and Trumann, were also common in historical records.

One of the earliest known references to the Truman name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landholdings in England following the Norman Conquest. The name appears in several entries, suggesting its establishment as a surname by that time.

Notable individuals bearing the Truman surname include Sir Thomas Truman (1638-1703), a prominent English merchant and philanthropist, and Benjamin Truman (1699-1780), a renowned brewer who founded the Truman Brewery in London.

In the United States, the most famous bearer of the Truman name was Harry S. Truman (1884-1972), the 33rd President of the United States. Truman's political career began in Missouri, where he served as a county judge and U.S. Senator before becoming Vice President under Franklin D. Roosevelt and ultimately ascending to the presidency.

Other notable Trumans throughout history include John Truman (1701-1760), an English clergyman and author, and Thomas Truman (1785-1835), an English engraver and renowned book illustrator.

The Truman surname has also been associated with several place names, such as Truman, Minnesota, and Truman, Arkansas, both named after President Harry S. Truman. These place names serve as a testament to the enduring legacy of this storied surname.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Truman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Truman 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. Nottinghamshire leads with 320 Trumans recorded in 1881 and an index of 13.05x.

County Total Index
Nottinghamshire 320 13.05x
Middlesex 229 1.26x
Warwickshire 181 3.94x
Devon 129 3.41x
Derbyshire 99 3.48x
Lancashire 78 0.36x
Yorkshire 75 0.42x
Surrey 74 0.83x
Lincolnshire 64 2.20x
Gloucestershire 61 1.71x
Staffordshire 59 0.96x
Wiltshire 52 3.23x
Worcestershire 47 1.98x
Cheshire 45 1.12x
Kent 43 0.69x
Berkshire 42 3.08x
Monmouthshire 31 2.36x
Somerset 27 0.92x
Hampshire 23 0.62x
Essex 22 0.61x
Northamptonshire 18 1.05x
Huntingdonshire 17 4.71x
Durham 16 0.30x
Glamorgan 14 0.44x
Norfolk 13 0.46x
Buckinghamshire 11 1.00x
Sussex 11 0.36x
Bedfordshire 9 0.96x
Leicestershire 9 0.45x
Northumberland 9 0.33x
Pembrokeshire 6 1.04x
Cambridgeshire 5 0.43x
Suffolk 4 0.18x
Carmarthenshire 3 0.39x
Cornwall 3 0.15x
Cardiganshire 2 0.45x
Cumberland 2 0.13x
Denbighshire 2 0.29x
Dorset 2 0.17x
Herefordshire 2 0.27x
Lanarkshire 2 0.03x
Caernarfonshire 1 0.14x
Midlothian 1 0.04x
Oxfordshire 1 0.09x
Royal Navy 1 0.46x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Nottingham St Mary in Nottinghamshire leads with 113 Trumans recorded in 1881 and an index of 17.82x.

Place Total Index
Nottingham St Mary 113 17.82x
Birmingham 96 6.28x
Aston 56 4.43x
Long Eaton 40 106.38x
Basford 36 31.85x
Snenton 34 35.29x
Hackney London 32 3.14x
Bulwell 27 50.65x
West Teignmouth 27 93.20x
St Pancras London 25 1.71x
Bethnal Green London 24 3.04x
Radford 21 16.86x
Dudley 20 6.92x
Crowland 19 104.11x
Greasley 17 30.72x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 16 4.76x
Chatham 16 9.37x
Chelsea London 15 2.74x
Spittlegate 15 37.28x
Islington London 14 0.79x
Westminster St James 14 7.49x
Trevethin 13 10.47x
Alfreton 12 13.87x
Newington 12 1.79x
Nottingham St Peter 12 43.89x
St Mary Magdalen Lincoln 12 308.48x
Walsall Foreign 12 3.78x
West Ham 12 1.51x
Wolborough 12 25.07x
Burton Upon Trent 11 7.66x
Carlton 11 39.31x
Limehouse London 11 5.51x
Melksham 11 39.37x
Stonehouse East 11 57.26x
Amersham 10 64.14x
Birkenhead 10 3.12x
Cameley 10 304.88x
Lambeth 10 0.63x
Scawby 10 103.95x
Arnold 9 25.14x
Bermondsey 9 1.66x
Camberwell 9 0.77x
Croydon 9 1.83x
Eston 9 22.92x
Fulham London 9 3.41x
Heaton 9 441.18x
Hucknall Torkard 9 14.47x
Longworth 9 242.59x
St Marylebone London 9 0.93x
Calne 8 24.15x
Church Gresley 8 17.65x
Devizes St John 8 66.23x
Earley 8 35.16x
East Ham 8 12.00x
Everton 8 1.16x
Fyfield 8 380.95x
Haddon 8 919.54x
Ideford 8 451.98x
Leamington Priors 8 7.09x
Leeds 8 0.79x
Llanvihangel Llantarnam 8 31.90x
Mickley 8 93.68x
Newbold Pacey 8 340.43x
Northampton Priory St 8 7.79x
Withycombe Rawleigh 8 40.55x
Alvechurch 7 69.24x
Kempsford 7 135.14x
Kingswinford 7 3.14x
Lea Ashton Ingol 7 48.85x
Leicester St Margaret 7 1.42x
Lenton 7 12.12x
Moreton Hampstead 7 71.50x
Northfield 7 15.53x
Reigate Foreign 7 7.29x
Rogerstone 7 86.31x
Shoreditch London 7 0.89x
St George Hanover 7 2.95x
Sutton On Trent 7 116.28x
Thingwell 7 693.07x
Wales 7 49.16x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 128
Sarah 72
Elizabeth 64
Eliza 48
Ann 39
Annie 33
Ellen 33
Alice 32
Jane 32
Emma 29
Emily 25
Louisa 17
Florence 16
Edith 15
Hannah 15
Harriet 15
Charlotte 13
Maria 13
Ada 12
Catherine 11
Martha 11
Kate 10
Caroline 9
Clara 9
Fanny 8
Margaret 8
Amelia 7
Anne 7
Harriett 7
Lucy 7
Matilda 7
Agnes 6
Gertrude 6
Rebecca 6
Esther 5
Minnie 5
Ruth 5
Bessie 4
Ethel 4
Frances 4
Grace 4
Lizzie 4
Priscilla 4
Selina 4
Anna 3
Beatrice 3
Elizth. 3
Flora 3
Henrietta 3
Rose 3

Top male names

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

Name Count
William 120
John 86
George 72
Thomas 68
Henry 54
James 43
Charles 33
Joseph 33
Arthur 27
Alfred 22
Edward 17
Samuel 14
Walter 14
Frederick 13
Richard 13
Albert 12
Harry 12
Robert 12
Ernest 9
Herbert 9
Isaac 7
Mark 7
Wm. 7
Benjamin 5
Francis 5
Frank 5
Matthew 5
Edwin 4
Fred 4
Fredrick 4
Josiah 4
Frederic 3
Luke 3
Thos. 3
Tom 3
Bertie 2
Claude 2
Daniel 2
Ebenezer 2
Emmanuel 2
Fredk. 2
Horace 2
Hubert 2
Infant 2
Jacob 2
Job 2
Percy 2
Reginald 2
Robt. 2
Stephen 2

FAQ

Truman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Truman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,872 people were recorded with the Truman surname. That placed it at #2,325 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Truman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,970 in 2016. That gives Truman a modern rank of #3,268.

What does the Truman surname mean?

Derived from the Middle English term "trueman," meaning an honest or trustworthy man.

What does the Truman map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Truman 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.