The Trail surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,101 people carried this name — #8,084 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 71,900 people counted. That is up 13% from 3,637 in 2000.

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In the first U.S. census, 1790

20 families named Trail, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 139 people lived in those households, 7 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 2 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Maryland 6
Virginia 4
South Carolina 3
Massachusetts 2
Connecticut 2
New York 2
Pennsylvania 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 265 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Trail in American newspapers,
1858–1921.

Newspaper page from The Carlisle Independent carrying the name Trail
The Carlisle Independent 1921-08-25
Newspaper page from The Washington Union carrying the name Trail
The Washington Union 1858-08-15
Newspaper page from The Lexington Intelligencer carrying the name Trail
The Lexington Intelligencer 1921-03-25

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,164 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Trail in Australian newspapers,
1830s–1990s.

8,132 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Trail. The most, 1,395, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in Queensland, at 2.0 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Queensland 3,009
Victoria 1,994
New South Wales 1,687
Tasmania 551
South Australia 541
Western Australia 280
ACT (Canberra) 60

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Trail.

Who carried it

People named Trail,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Frances Charteris d. 1848
  • Janet Sinclair d. 1806
  • Elizabeth Read d. 1818
  • Sarah Trail d. 1730
  • Mary Trail d. 1714
  • Sarah Trail d. 1685

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Trail,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States260 records

260 records of the Trail name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 141
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 50
  • Other U.S. records 69
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Charles R. Trail

    Born 1918 in Maryland. Enlisted 1941 at Baltimore; driver from Loudoun County, Virginia. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at Friends Cemetery, Lincoln, Virginia.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Joseph Hayes Trail

    Born 1932; from Frederick County, Maryland. U.S. Army, water supply technician; declared dead 1950 in North Korea.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Mary S. Trail

    Arrived at New York in 1883 aboard the Ethiopia from Glasgow and Moville, aged 23; servant. From Scotland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 260 records for Trail in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia161 records

161 records of the Trail name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 66
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 60
  • Other Australian records 35
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record James Trail

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Cressy, sailing from Plymouth in 1843. Native of Dunfermline, Fife.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Charlotte Trail

    Arrived in Victoria in 1857 aboard the Sunshine, aged 40; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Frances Susan Trail

    Hotelkeeper of Oakleigh, Victoria; died 1894.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 161 records for Trail in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain).

Netherlands16 records

16 records of the Trail name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 11
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 5
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Marrij Trail

    Died 1871 in Oldenzaal, aged 25.

    Open Archives, Collectie Overijssel locatie Zwolle (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Elieza Sijmons Trail

    Married in 1879 in Princenhage.

    Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Marij Trail

    In the population register of Batavia; born 1819 in Batavia.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Breda (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 16 records for Trail in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Canada8 records

8 records of the Trail name in Canada
  • Ontario immigration records, 1865–1883 4
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 2
  • Other Canadian records 2
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Trail

    Came to Ontario in 1870 aboard the Peruvian, landing at Quebec, bound for Hamilton, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Charles Henry Trail

    Died 1949; buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

    City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg.
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Sarah Trail

    Died 1868 in Upper Dyke, Kings, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.

Showing 3 of 8 records for Trail in Canada.

Counts: Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

New Zealand8 records

8 records of the Trail name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 4
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 3
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Louisa Shotover Trail

    Buried in 1946 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 79.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Josephine Annie Trail

    Died 1995, aged 92; buried at Waimairi Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record A. Trail

    New Zealand Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 8 records for Trail in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

United Kingdom6 records

6 records of the Trail name in the United Kingdom
  • Scottish rolls of honour, First World War 4
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  • Stirling Council burial records 1
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record Stephen Galt Trail

    Born 1873 at Fraserburgh. Served in the First World War. Named in the University of Aberdeen roll of service in the Great War, 1914-1919.

    National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Trail

    Buried in 1939 at Snowdon Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland, aged 63.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. A. Trail

    Yeomanry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 6 records for Trail in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Trail name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Alfred Trail

    Born 1905 in Dominique; died 1992 in Basse-Terre (Guadeloupe).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Trail.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Trail is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Trail volume
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