Trask History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Early Origins of the Trask family
The surname Trask was first found in Yorkshire at Thirsk where the surname is descended from the tenant of the lands of Thirsk, held by Hugh Fitzbaldric, a Norman noble who was recorded in the Domesday Book census of 1086. "The name of this place is supposed to be derived from Tre Isk, two ancient British words signifying a town and river or brook. A strong castle was erected here about 979." 1
Early History of the Trask family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Trask research. Another 82 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1185 and 1219 are included under the topic Early Trask History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Trask Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Thirsk, Thresk, Trask, Tresch, Trasch, Tresk and many more.
Early Notables of the Trask family
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was
- the Trask family of Wiltshire
Trask Ranking
In the United States, the name Trask is the 3,909th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Trask is ranked the 7,381st most popular surname with an estimated 58 people with that name. 3
Trask migration to the United States +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Trask Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- William Trask, from Somerset, who landed in Salem, Massachusetts in 1624 aboard the ship "Zouch Phoenix" 4
- Suzan Trask, aged 25, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Phillip 4
Trask Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Jacob Trask, aged 43, who arrived in Texas in 1829 4
- C O Trask, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1851 4
- A T Trask, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1860 4
- M Trask, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1871 4
Trask migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Trask Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Mr. Samuel Trask, British Convict who was convicted in Wells, Somerset, England for 20 years, transported aboard the "Dudbrook" on 17th November 1852, arriving in Western Australia 5
Trask migration to New Zealand +
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:
Trask Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- Harriet Trask, aged 18, a servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Clifton" in 1842
- Israel Trask, aged 36, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Clifton" in 1842
- Ann Trask, aged 35, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Clifton" in 1842
- Israel Trask, aged 9, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Clifton" in 1842
- Enoch Trask, aged 7, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Clifton" in 1842
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Contemporary Notables of the name Trask (post 1700) +
- Gustavus D. S. Trask (1836-1914), American governor of Sailors' Snug Harbor
- Amy Jeanne Trask (b. 1961), American former CEO of the Oakland Raiders
- John Trask, American head men's soccer coach at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Kate Nichols "Katrina" Trask (1853-1922), American author and philanthropist
- Stephen Trask (b. 1967), born Stephen Schwartz, an American musician and composer
- Eliphalet Trask (1806-1890), American politician, 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts (1858-1861), 3rd Mayor of Springfield, Massachusetts in 1855
- Robert Lawrence "Larry" Trask (1944-2004), American Professor of Linguistics at the University of Sussex
- Elbridge Trask (1815-1863), American fur trapper and mountain man
- Haunani-Kay Trask (b. 1949), Native Hawaiian academic, activist, documentarist and writer
- Diana Trask (b. 1940), Australian and American country and pop singer
- ... (Another 8 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Historic Events for the Trask family +
- Mr. Simon Trask (b. 1894), Newfoundlander from Elliston, who on the 30th March 1914 he was part of the Seal Crew of the "SS Newfoundland" leaving the ship to intercept the Stephano which took him to the hunting grounds, he disembarked to begin sealing, but was caught in a thickening storm, attempting to return to the Newfoundland he and the 132 crew made camp for two days the sealers were stranded on the ice in a blizzard attempting to return to the ship, he survived
Citations +
- Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
- "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
- The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 23rd July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/dudbrook