Toure
A traditional African name meaning "free man" or "traveler".
Name Census estimates that about 405 living Americans carry the first name Toure. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Toure today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Toure births was 2008 (18 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Toure. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
405
~ 1 in 846,307 Americans
Peak year
2008
18 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,170
Tracked since 1965
Popularity
Toure: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Toure from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 102 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Toure by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Toure during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Toures live
Origin
Meaning and history of Toure
The name Toure has its origins in the Mande languages of West Africa, particularly in the Malinke and Bambara dialects spoken in present-day Mali and Guinea. It is derived from the word "tour," meaning "to break" or "to separate," suggesting a connection to strength and resilience.
Historically, the name Toure has been associated with the Keita dynasty, which ruled the Mali Empire from the 13th to the 17th century. This powerful empire controlled a vast territory spanning parts of modern-day Mali, Senegal, Guinea, and Mauritania. During this period, the name Toure was often borne by members of the ruling class and military leaders.
One of the earliest and most notable figures bearing the name Toure was Sundiata Keita, also known as Mari Djata or Lion Prince, who lived from approximately 1190 to 1255. He was the founder of the Mali Empire and is celebrated as a legendary hero in West African oral traditions for his bravery and military prowess in uniting the Mande peoples.
Another prominent figure was Mansa Musa I, the ninth mansa (emperor) of the Mali Empire, who reigned from 1312 to 1337. He is renowned for his immense wealth, which he showcased during his famous pilgrimage to Mecca, and for promoting the spread of Islam and scholarship throughout his empire.
In the 20th century, one of the most influential figures with the name Toure was Sekou Toure (1922-1984), a Guinean political leader and revolutionary who led Guinea to independence from French colonial rule in 1958. He served as the first President of Guinea until his death and was a prominent figure in the Pan-African movement.
Another notable individual was Ahmed Sekou Toure (1923-1986), a Malian writer, poet, and political activist who played a significant role in the cultural and literary renaissance of Mali in the post-colonial era. His works celebrated Malian identity and challenged traditional societal norms.
Lastly, Samory Toure (c. 1830-1900) was a prominent West African military leader and the founder of the Wassoulou Empire, which spanned parts of modern-day Guinea, Mali, and Ivory Coast. He fiercely resisted French colonial expansion in the region and is remembered as a symbol of resistance against foreign occupation.
People
Toure + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Toure as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Toure: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Toure?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 405 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Toure going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 846,307 US residents.
Is Toure a common name?
We classify Toure as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 420 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Toure most popular?
The single biggest year for Toure was 2008, when 18 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Toure is about 32 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Toure a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Toure in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.