Fun Facts About the Name Trace
- More than 14 thousand babies named Trace: U.S. records list 14,107 babies given the name Trace from 1880 through 2025. Even 348 girls received the name Trace - about 1 girl for every 40 boys.
What Does the Name Trace Mean?
Trace is an English name. Its word-name sense is "track" or "path," from the English noun trace, which was borrowed from Old French trace, "track, trail, footprint." The Old French noun is related to tracier, "to trace" or "to follow a trail." The literal sense is a mark or line left by movement. Trace is also used as a short form of Tracy, an English surname taken from a Norman place name; that name goes back to a Gallo-Roman personal name Thracius, meaning "of Thrace" or "Thracian." These are separate derivations: one is a word name from Old French, the other a shortening of a Norman-derived surname. The word-name sense is literal, while the Tracy connection is relational.
Trace Name History & Origins
Trace is a modern English given name, but the elements behind it are older. The vocabulary word trace entered Middle English from Old French, where it meant a track, trail, or footprint; English later used it for a mark, line, or course followed. A surname Trace could have been topographic, for someone who lived by a path, or a nickname for someone who tracked or followed a route, though the exact medieval sense is not firmly documented. The name Tracy has a different history: it comes from a place name in Normandy, Tracy, formed from a Roman-era personal name Thracius plus the suffix -acum. In modern use, Trace can be a short form of Tracy as well as a word name, so both strands may lie behind a single bearer.
How Popular is the Name Trace?
Trace recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2008. Its best rank was #439 in 1998.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | #17,425 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #19,002 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2003 | #18,231 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #11,324 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1998 | #13,990 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #12,005 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1996 | #8,109 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1992 | #15,458 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #15,315 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #12,278 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #13,147 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #7,718 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1985 | #6,934 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1984 | #9,094 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #8,000 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1982 | #12,214 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1981 | #9,048 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #11,869 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #9,673 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #4,603 | 14 | 0.0010% |
| 1975 | #5,147 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1974 | #7,632 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1973 | #7,392 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1972 | #3,884 | 16 | 0.0011% |
| 1971 | #4,521 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1970 | #2,851 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1969 | #4,405 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1968 | #3,444 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1967 | #3,644 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1966 | #3,728 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1965 | #3,536 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1964 | #5,970 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1963 | #4,001 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1962 | #2,914 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1961 | #4,527 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1960 | #5,657 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1959 | #7,137 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #758 | 340 | 0.0199% |
| 2024 | #704 | 380 | 0.0222% |
| 2023 | #677 | 403 | 0.0236% |
| 2022 | #706 | 373 | 0.0214% |
| 2021 | #736 | 348 | 0.0199% |
| 2020 | #763 | 316 | 0.0183% |
| 2019 | #776 | 302 | 0.0168% |
| 2018 | #745 | 319 | 0.0176% |
| 2017 | #835 | 265 | 0.0143% |
| 2016 | #805 | 287 | 0.0151% |
| 2015 | #801 | 291 | 0.0152% |
| 2014 | #763 | 308 | 0.0160% |
| 2013 | #644 | 382 | 0.0202% |
| 2012 | #635 | 379 | 0.0200% |
| 2011 | #573 | 437 | 0.0230% |
| 2010 | #524 | 494 | 0.0258% |
| 2009 | #531 | 505 | 0.0255% |
| 2008 | #510 | 534 | 0.0262% |
| 2007 | #586 | 437 | 0.0211% |
| 2006 | #537 | 470 | 0.0229% |
| 2005 | #543 | 445 | 0.0223% |
| 2004 | #531 | 447 | 0.0225% |
| 2003 | #496 | 496 | 0.0251% |
| 2002 | #521 | 437 | 0.0225% |
| 2001 | #564 | 369 | 0.0190% |
| 2000 | #551 | 384 | 0.0196% |
| 1999 | #535 | 389 | 0.0203% |
| 1998 | #439 | 524 | 0.0274% |
| 1997 | #497 | 421 | 0.0223% |
| 1996 | #749 | 202 | 0.0107% |
| 1995 | #856 | 161 | 0.0085% |
| 1994 | #806 | 172 | 0.0089% |
| 1993 | #844 | 158 | 0.0081% |
| 1992 | #955 | 127 | 0.0064% |
| 1991 | #898 | 139 | 0.0069% |
| 1990 | #979 | 116 | 0.0056% |
| 1989 | #1,072 | 96 | 0.0048% |
| 1988 | #1,372 | 58 | 0.0030% |
| 1987 | #1,529 | 47 | 0.0025% |
| 1986 | #1,283 | 58 | 0.0031% |
| 1985 | #962 | 91 | 0.0049% |
| 1984 | #1,975 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 1983 | #2,569 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1982 | #2,055 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 1981 | #2,415 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1980 | #2,611 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1979 | #2,662 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1978 | #2,066 | 24 | 0.0015% |
| 1977 | #2,356 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1976 | #2,173 | 22 | 0.0014% |
| 1975 | #2,199 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 1974 | #2,664 | 15 | 0.0010% |
| 1973 | #1,868 | 24 | 0.0015% |
| 1972 | #1,506 | 33 | 0.0020% |
| 1971 | #1,306 | 42 | 0.0024% |
| 1970 | #1,334 | 40 | 0.0022% |
| 1969 | #1,433 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 1968 | #1,338 | 34 | 0.0020% |
| 1967 | #1,085 | 47 | 0.0027% |
| 1966 | #913 | 64 | 0.0036% |
| 1965 | #872 | 71 | 0.0038% |
| 1964 | #1,695 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1963 | #1,163 | 45 | 0.0022% |
| 1962 | #1,363 | 34 | 0.0016% |
| 1961 | #1,631 | 25 | 0.0012% |
| 1960 | #1,551 | 28 | 0.0013% |
| 1959 | #1,759 | 22 | 0.0010% |
| 1958 | #1,834 | 20 | 0.0009% |
| 1957 | #2,015 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1956 | #2,010 | 17 | 0.0008% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Trace Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You like to control everyone within your influence, to shape things to your own liking. If positive, you develop high spirituality, as you have a God's protection. You are sensitive, affectionate, imaginative and cooperative, spiritually aware and prone to self-sacrifice. You can keep secrets and are a good diplomat. You may have healing and psychic powers. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Trace's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Trace's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.