Trude Family History

German: from a short form of the female personal name Gertrude composed of the ancient Germanic elements gēr ‘spear’ + trud ‘strength’ the latter being subsequently reinterpreted as traut ‘dear’ yielding the form Gertraut (see Draudt).

English (Devon): variant of Trodd a topographic name for someone who lived by a path or track (Middle English Old English trod);

or perhaps from a misdivision of the Middle English phrase atte rode either ‘at the clearing’ (Old English rod rodu) or ‘at the reed bed’ (Old English hrēod).