2000
#76,465
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 234
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Torn
A Germanic surname derived from the Middle High German word "torn" meaning thorny bush or bramble.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 322 Americans carry the last name Torn. That puts it at #74,224 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,064,454 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Torn surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Torn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
322
1 in 1,064,454
Census rank
#74,224
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
281
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 281 bearers of the surname Torn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 74224th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Torn, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (13.5%) and Black (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Torn
The surname Torn is believed to have originated in Germany, where it first appeared in records during the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "torn," meaning "thorn bush" or "thorny plant." The name may have initially been used as a locational surname, referring to someone who lived near a thorny area or a place with a name related to thorns.
One of the earliest known references to the Torn surname is found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, which mentions a person named "Henricus de Torn" in 1198. This suggests that the name was already established in that area by the late 12th century.
In the 13th century, the Torn surname appeared in various records across Germany, including the Annales Colonienses Maximi, a chronicle of events in Cologne, which mentions a "Johannes Torn" in 1238. This indicates that the name had spread to different parts of the country by that time.
The Torn surname also has a historical connection to the town of Tornau, located in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. The town's name, which means "thorn meadow" or "thorny field," is likely related to the origin of the surname. Records from the 14th century mention individuals with the surname Torn residing in Tornau and the surrounding areas.
One notable figure with the Torn surname was Hans Torn (c. 1492-1568), a German painter and woodcarver from Lübeck. He is known for his altarpieces and religious carvings, many of which can still be found in churches throughout northern Germany.
Another prominent individual was Johann Torn (1594-1659), a German Baroque composer and organist from Torgau. He served as the court organist to the Electors of Saxony and composed numerous works for organ and other instruments.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Torn family emigrated to Sweden, where the surname was spelled "Törn." One member of this family, Petter Törn (1711-1793), was a Swedish naval officer and explorer who led several expeditions to the Arctic regions.
The Torn surname also has a presence in other European countries, such as the Netherlands, where it is sometimes spelled "Toren." One notable Dutch individual with this surname was Gijsbert Toren (1789-1864), a politician and jurist who served as the President of the Supreme Court of the Netherlands from 1848 to 1863.
While the Torn surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, where it is often spelled "Thorn." However, the historical origins and connections of the name can be traced back to the thorny plants and locations of medieval Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Torn
Among Census respondents with the surname Torn, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (13.5%) and Black (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Torn bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Torn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.1% · 211
- Asian and Pacific Islander13.5% · 38
- Black or African American4.3% · 12
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 11
- Two or more races2.5% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Torn
Torn appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#89,403
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 207
-27 bearers (-11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Down 12,938 places
2020
#74,224
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 281
+74 bearers (+35.7%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 15,179 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #76,465 | 234 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #89,403 | 207 | 0.07 | -27 bearers (-11.5%) | Down 12,938 places |
| 2020 | #74,224 | 281 | 0.09 | +74 bearers (+35.7%) | Up 15,179 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Torn surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #89,403 | #74,224 | 17.0% |
| Count | 207 | 281 | 35.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.07 | 0.09 | 34.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Torn bearers went from 207 to 281 (+35.7% change). The surname moved up 15,179 positions in the national ranking, going from #89,403 to #74,224.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Torn
FAQ
Torn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Torn?
Name Census estimates that about 322 living Americans carry the surname Torn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,064,454 residents.
How common is Torn?
Torn ranks #74,224 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 281 people with the surname Torn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (322), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Torn.
Has Torn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Torn went from 207 recorded bearers to 281. That is an increase of 74 (+35.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #89,403 to #74,224.
What does the Census say about the background of Torn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Torn, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (13.5%) and Black (4.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Torn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.1% (211 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Torn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (13.5%), Black (4.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Torn (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Torn mean?
A Germanic surname derived from the Middle High German word "torn" meaning thorny bush or bramble. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Torn (0.09 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Torn?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Torn, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.