Given name & surname · also German, Old English

Truman

“one who is loyal”

Truman is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “one who is loyal.”

Meaning & origin

What it means

One English interpretation is “one who is loyal.”

Where it comes from

This spelling has been associated with English, Old English, and German naming traditions.

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.

From dated birth records

Truman through the years

Babies since 1880
15,973
15,947 boys · 26 girls
Most popular year
1945
540 babies
2025
111
#1,553 for boys
2021–25 vs 2016–20
−32%
Easing
020040060018801900192019401960198020002025Highest share 194565
Truman in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1880–2025, per million boys born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

Where it’s given

Most at home inMissouri, Kentucky, Utah
FewerMore, relative to births Not published
2025 births by state of birth. Tiles are equal-sized so small states stay visible. Highest rates: Missouri (14), Kentucky (6), Utah (5), Ohio (5), Texas (12).

By the numbers

In 2025, this name appeared in 111 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 1,553 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 31.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 540 in 1945. In 2025, Missouri had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (14). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 7,702 as a first name in 2020; 5,239 as a surname in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Truman’s family of names

Truman has a related form in Trumaine. Truman has a related form in Trueman. Truman has a related form in Trumaen.

Walk Truman’s family in the name graph

TrumanΤρούμανTrumaineTruemanTrumainTrumenTrumayneTrumannTrumaynTrumaeneTrumaen杜魯門

Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Nicknames & forms 9

Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.

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Spellings & scripts 1

The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.

Across languages 1

Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.

See also 1

Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.

Similar names

If you love Truman, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

English

Sherman

“one who cuts wool cloth”

22RareCooling

>99% boys

Welsh

Vaughn

“the little beloved one” · “one who is small”

47UncommonEasing

90% boys · 10% girls

English

Alton

“from the old town”

40UncommonEasing

>99% boys

German · Royal

Gerald

“one who rules with the spear”

45UncommonEasing

>99% boys

English · Timeless

Marshall

“shoeing smith” · “a caretaker of horses”

65FamiliarSteady

>99% boys

German · Place names

Wendell

“one who travels; a wanderer”

35RareSteady

99% boys · 1% girls

English

Jerald

“one who rules with the spear”

25RareEasing

>99% boys

English

Stanton

“from the stone town”

26RareEasing

>99% boys

Sibling ideas

Names that share Truman’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Truman

A sister for Truman