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Type Surname (from nickname)
Usage English
Other Forms FormsTrow, Truwe, Trewe, Trew, Trowe

Meaning & History

This surname is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and has three distinct possible sources, each with its own history and derivation.

Firstly, True may belong to that sizeable group of early European surnames that were gradually created from the habitual use of nicknames. The surname may have derived from the Olde English pre-7th Century "treowe" (Middle English "trow(e)", faithful, steadfast), denoting a loyal, steadfast person.

The second possibility is that True is a topographical name from residence by some prominent tree, deriving from the Olde English "treow" (Middle English "trew, trow"), tree, or from Trew (Cornwall), or True (Devon), localities named with this word.

Finally, the name may be topographic for someone who lived near a depression in the ground, from the Middle English "trow", trough, hollow, or from Trow Farm (Wiltshire).
Added 8/5/2017 by TanorFaux
Edited 4/29/2024 by Mike C