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

Tornatore, 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 Tornatore surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tornatore in America

Tornatore is the 34223rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tornatore surname appeared 663 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 Tornatore.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tornatore 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 Tornatore

The surname Tornatore has its origins in Italy, tracing back to the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Italian word "tornare," which means "to turn" or "to return." This suggests that the name might have been given to someone who worked as a turner, crafting objects on a lathe or a similar device.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tornatore can be found in the archives of the city of Palermo, Sicily, where a certain Giovanni Tornatore is mentioned in a document dated 1356. This suggests that the name was already established in that region by the mid-14th century.

In the 15th century, the name appears in several records from the town of Agrigento, also in Sicily. One such record, dated 1487, mentions a Matteo Tornatore, who was a prominent landowner in the area.

As the centuries passed, the Tornatore surname spread across various parts of Italy, with notable individuals bearing the name emerging in different regions. In the 16th century, a certain Girolamo Tornatore (1508-1584) was a renowned scholar and philosopher from Naples, known for his works on logic and metaphysics.

In the 17th century, the name gained prominence in the artistic circles of Rome, with the painter Niccolò Tornatore (1622-1701) being one of the most celebrated figures of his time. His works can still be found adorning the walls of various churches and palaces in the Eternal City.

Moving into the 18th century, the Tornatore family established itself as a prominent lineage in the city of Catania, Sicily. One of the notable figures from this era was Francesco Tornatore (1748-1821), a successful merchant and philanthropist who was instrumental in the construction of several public buildings and charitable institutions in the city.

In the 19th century, the name Tornatore gained international recognition with the birth of Giuseppe Tornatore (1836-1908), an Italian opera composer and conductor. His operas, such as "Francesca da Rimini" and "Gismonda," were widely acclaimed and performed in major opera houses across Europe.

Another noteworthy figure from this period was Vincenzo Tornatore (1858-1932), a politician and lawyer from Palermo, who served as a member of the Italian Parliament and was actively involved in the struggle for Italian unification.

As the 20th century dawned, the Tornatore surname continued to be associated with artistic and cultural pursuits. One of the most renowned figures of this era was the Italian film director Giuseppe Tornatore (born 1956), best known for his critically acclaimed movies such as "Cinema Paradiso" and "The Legend of 1900."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tornatore

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

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

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

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