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

Torfin, 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 Torfin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Torfin in America

Torfin is the 144141st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Torfin surname appeared 115 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 Torfin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Torfin 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 Torfin

The surname Torfin is of Scandinavian origin, specifically from Norway or Sweden. It is believed to have emerged during the Viking era, between the late 8th and 11th centuries. The name is derived from the Old Norse words "torf," meaning turf or peat, and "finn," which was a term used to refer to the Sami people of northern Scandinavia.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Torfin can be found in the Landnámabók, an Icelandic book detailing the settlement of Iceland. The book mentions a man named Torfinn Selviðursson, who was one of the first settlers to arrive in Iceland from Norway in the late 9th century.

In the 11th century, a Norwegian chieftain named Torfinn Haussakljuver is mentioned in the Orkneyinga Saga, a historical narrative about the rulers of the Orkney Islands. Torfinn was a powerful figure who fought against the Scottish king Malcolm III in the 1060s.

Another notable figure with the surname Torfin was Torfinn Karlsefni, an Icelandic explorer who is believed to have led an expedition to Vinland (present-day Newfoundland, Canada) around the year 1010. His journey is documented in the Grænlendinga Saga and the Eiríks Saga Rauða.

In the 13th century, a Danish clergyman named Torfinn Kristjansson served as the Bishop of Hamar in Norway from 1268 to 1277. He is mentioned in historical records for his involvement in church affairs during his time as bishop.

The surname Torfin is also linked to various place names in Scandinavia, such as Torfinnstorp in Sweden and Torfinnstranda in Norway. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the surname Torfin who lived in or owned land in those areas.

Throughout history, variations in spelling of the surname Torfin have emerged, including Torfinn, Torffin, and Torfinnson. However, the core elements of "torf" and "finn" remain consistent in most variations, reflecting the name's origins and meaning.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Torfin

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

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 Torfin 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 Torfin 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 Torfin was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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