Trammell
A surname likely from a trade name connected with a trammel, a kind of net or measuring device.
The #2,867 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 24,539 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Trammell is most likely an occupational surname from Middle English trammel, meaning a net, mesh, or restraining device. The word ultimately goes back through Old French to Latin tra(m)ella, referring to a kind of net or trap. As a surname, it would originally have identified someone who made, used, or worked with such a device, though in some cases it may also reflect a nickname or a name formed from a local word for a net or chain-like implement.
History
The surname is found in England and later in the United States, where spellings such as Trammel, Trammell, and Trammel(s) have been recorded. American bearers likely descend from English or Anglo-Irish families, though the name also appears in some southern U.S. records as an established local surname. Because it is relatively uncommon, its spelling has often varied in records.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A trammel is not only a net: in older English it could also mean a set of chains or restraints, which is why the word shows up in both practical and figurative senses.