Trieu
A French habitational surname linked to places or a river name in Brittany.
The #9,426 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 89,466 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Trieu appears to be French and is most likely habitational, referring to a place name rather than a personal characteristic or occupation. The excerpt points to a river in Brittany called Trieu, though the OCR is rough and the note is brief. The underlying sense is simply "from Trieu" or "of Trieu," a surname formed from a geographic name.
History
Because the source mention is incidental and fragmentary, there is little firm historical detail to add. The name seems to fit the common French pattern of surnames taken from local places or minor landscape features. In modern usage, it is relatively uncommon in the United States and is likely connected to French or Franco-Belgian family lines.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
French surnames based on place names often began as identifiers for someone who had moved from that locality to somewhere else.
From the historical record
“waters" TRUE. Local. From Trieu, a river in Bretagne, France. Tr& signifies a town. 252 ETYMOLOGICAL DICTIONA.br”
— An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names