The Trask surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,162 people carried this name — #5,639 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 47,800 people counted. That is up 5% from 5,878 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Trask surname

English surname, variant of Thirsk, a name and town in Yorkshire.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Trask» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As a surname in the United Kingdom

Harrison classes it as a Scandinavian name: ‘Dweller at a Bog or Marsh’.

From Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary, vol. II (London: The Morland Press, 1918), p. 233 · public domain.

In the Nordic population registers

75 people named Trask is counted in Finland.

Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.

Counted, by country

Finland (2026) 75

Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

93 Trask families were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 544 people lived in those households, 5.8 to a family on average. 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

Massachusetts 65
Maine 17
Rhode Island 5
New Hampshire 4
Vermont 1
New York 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

Trask in American newspapers,
1895–1917.

Newspaper page from The Miller Press carrying the name Trask
The Miller Press 1917-05-10
Newspaper page from The Miller Press carrying the name Trask
The Miller Press 1917-04-19
Newspaper page from The Florida Agriculturist carrying the name Trask
The Florida Agriculturist 1895-04-24

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 98,635 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Trask in Australian newspapers,
1860s–1970s.

2,577 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Trask. The most, 591, 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 Victoria, at 2.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

Victoria 1,211
New South Wales 800
Western Australia 196
Queensland 179
South Australia 137
Tasmania 24
ACT (Canberra) 16
Northern Territory 1

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

Who carried it

People named Trask,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Israel Elliot Trask
    Israel Elliot Trask 1773–1835
  • Elizabeth Carter Trask
    Elizabeth Carter Trask 1780–1860
  • Leonard Trask
    Leonard Trask 1805–1861 · writer
  • Eliphalet Trask
    Eliphalet Trask 1806–1890 · mayor
  • Clara Augusta Jones Trask
    Clara Augusta Jones Trask 1839–1905 · writer
  • Sylvanus Trask 1811–1897 · politician

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Trask,
in the records of 6 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 States536 records

536 records of the Trask name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 212
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 106
  • New York State death index (outside NYC), 1957–2001 72
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 67
  • U.S. alien registration index, 1940–1955 49
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 27
  • U.S. service members who died in the Korean War 2
  • U.S. service members who died in the Vietnam War 1
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record John G. Trask

    Born 1923 in Maine. Enlisted 1943 at Portland; pattern maker from Cumberland County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1983, buried at Maine Veterans' Memorial Cemetery, Augusta, Maine.

    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 Eugene O. Trask

    Born 1932; from Trumbull County, Ohio. U.S. Army, field wireman; died of wounds 1951 in South 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 Karl Trask

    Arrived at New York in 1892 aboard the Indiana from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 18; laborer. From Finland, Russia.

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

Showing 3 of 536 records for Trask in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · 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).

Canada475 records

475 records of the Trask name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 459
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 7
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 3
  • City of Niagara Falls (Ontario) cemetery records 2
  • Halifax municipal cemeteries 1
  • City of Waterloo (Ontario) cemetery records 1
  • City of Winnipeg cemetery records 1
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 1
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record John Trask

    Died 1944 in Little River, Digby, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Issac Trask

    Buried in 1969 at Fairview Cemetery, Niagara Falls, Ontario.

    City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Heber Trask

    Died in service in 1918.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 475 records for Trask in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Australia113 records

113 records of the Trask name in Australia
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 64
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 41
  • Queensland State Archives indexes 6
  • Tasmanian Names Index 1
  • State Library of Western Australia indexes 1
  1. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James Trask

    Arrived in Victoria in 1855 aboard the Caldera, aged 50; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record George Trask

    Gentleman of Geelong, Victoria; died 1921.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)
  3. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record James Trask

    Left Hobart in 1846 aboard the Gilbert Henderson, bound for London, as crew.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 113 records for Trask 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). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: 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); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).

New Zealand3 records

3 records of the Trask name in New Zealand Christchurch City cemetery records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James Henry Trask

    Died 1932, aged 72; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Joseph Louis Trask

    Died 1965, aged 46; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Mary Trask

    Died 1907, aged 55; buried at Sydenham Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Finland2 records

2 records of the Trask name in Finland Finland's war dead, 1939–1945
  1. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record Aarne Nikolai Träsk

    Born 1916 in Jokioinen; general labourer. Died in 1940 during Finland's wars of 1939–1945; buried in Jokioinen.

    Kansallisarkisto, via WarSampo (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record Johannes Albin Träsk

    Born 1913 in Vöyri. Died in 1940 during Finland's wars of 1939–1945; buried in Vöyri.

    Kansallisarkisto, via WarSampo (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Kansallisarkisto, via WarSampo (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Trask 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 Michael Eric Trask

    Born 1929 in Great Britain; died 1995 in Flaugnac (Lot).

    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 Trask.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Trask 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 Trask volume
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