Find out how popular the last name Toren is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Toren.

Toren, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Toren surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Toren in America

Toren is the 47006th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Toren surname appeared 452 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Toren.

We can also compare 2010 data for Toren to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Toren

The surname Toren has its origins in the Netherlands, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Dutch word "toren," meaning "tower" or "spire," suggesting a connection to someone who lived near a prominent tower or worked as a guard or watchman in a tower.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Toren can be found in the Dutch baptismal records of 1589, where a child named Claes Toren was baptized in the city of Leiden. This suggests that the Toren family had already established itself in the region by that time.

In the 17th century, the surname Toren appeared in various Dutch records, including the Leiden Municipal Archives, which documented several individuals with this name residing in the city during that period.

A notable figure bearing the Toren surname was Jan Toren (1614-1675), a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his still-life and genre paintings. His works can be found in prestigious collections, such as the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Louvre in Paris.

Another individual of historical significance was Willem Toren (1766-1842), a Dutch naval officer and politician. He served as the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1819 to 1821 and played a significant role in the Dutch colonial administration.

In the 19th century, the surname Toren spread beyond the Netherlands to other parts of Europe and even to the Americas, as Dutch immigrants settled in various regions. One notable example is Gerrit Toren (1845-1912), a Dutch-American businessman and entrepreneur who founded the Toren Glove Company in New York City, which became a prominent manufacturer of gloves and mittens.

Another notable figure was Anna Toren (1865-1942), a Swedish author and feminist activist. She was a pioneer in advocating for women's rights and played a crucial role in the Swedish women's suffrage movement.

The surname Toren also has a presence in other countries, such as Germany, where it is sometimes spelled as "Thorn" or "Thoren." One example is Wilhelm Thorn (1781-1857), a German philosopher and educator who was influential in the field of pedagogy.

While the surname Toren may not be as common as some other Dutch surnames, it has a rich history and has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, from art and politics to business and literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Toren

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Toren.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Toren was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Toren has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Toren was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Toren, please contact us.

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