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

Tornel, 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 Tornel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tornel in America

Tornel is the 159712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tornel surname appeared 101 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 Tornel.

The history of the last name Tornel

The surname Tornel has its origins in Spain, where it first emerged in the medieval period. The name is believed to be derived from the Spanish word "torno," which means "to turn" or "to twist." This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname, referring to someone who worked as a turner or maker of objects on a lathe.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Tornel surname can be found in the "Censo de Poblacion de las Provincias y Partidos de la Corona de Castilla" (Census of the Population of the Provinces and Districts of the Crown of Castile), a historical document from the 16th century. This census lists several individuals with the surname Tornel residing in various parts of Spain.

In the 17th century, a notable individual with the surname Tornel was Juan de Tornel, a Spanish military officer and governor of the province of Cartagena de Indias (present-day Colombia) between 1652 and 1656. He played a significant role in the defense of the city against pirate attacks.

Another historically notable bearer of the Tornel surname was José María Tornel y Mendívil (1789-1853), a Mexican general and politician who served as the Minister of War and the Navy under several administrations in the early 19th century. He was a prominent figure during the Mexican-American War and the Reform War.

In the 19th century, the Tornel surname also appeared in France, possibly due to Spanish immigrants or descendants. One example is Louis-Adolphe Tornel (1825-1899), a French politician and writer who served as a deputy in the National Assembly and authored several works on historical and literary topics.

Another individual with the Tornel surname was José María Tornel y Mendívil (1832-1905), a Mexican engineer and architect who designed several notable buildings in Mexico City, including the Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts).

While the surname Tornel has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Latin America and Europe, through migration and family connections. However, the earliest recorded instances and historical references to the name can be traced back to its Spanish origins in the medieval and early modern periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tornel

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

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 Tornel 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.

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

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

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