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

Torpey, 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 Torpey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Torpey in America

Torpey is the 19242nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Torpey surname appeared 1,409 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 Torpey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Torpey 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 Torpey

The surname Torpey originates from Ireland, specifically the Gaelic-speaking regions of the country. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 11th or 12th century. Torpey is an Anglicized version of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Torbáin, which means "descendant of Torbán."

Torbán is derived from the Old Norse word "torp," which means a small hamlet or a farmstead. This suggests that the name may have been initially borne by someone who lived in a small settlement or a farm. The name's origins can be traced back to the Viking invasions of Ireland, when many Norse settlers intermarried with the native Irish population.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Torpey name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals mention a notable figure named Torpey O'Torveen, who lived in the 13th century and was a member of a prominent Irish family.

In the 16th century, the name Torpey appeared in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of records related to land grants and other legal matters in Ireland during the reign of the Tudor monarchs. This suggests that the Torpey family had established a significant presence in the region by that time.

Throughout the centuries, several individuals with the Torpey surname have made notable contributions in various fields. For example, Liam Torpey (1891-1979) was an Irish politician and member of the Irish revolutionary organization, the Irish Republican Army. He played a crucial role in the Irish War of Independence and later served as a member of the Irish Parliament.

Another notable figure was William Torpey (1871-1936), an American labor leader and politician who served as the president of the United Mine Workers of America from 1915 to 1917. He was instrumental in advocating for better working conditions and fair wages for coal miners in the United States.

In the literary realm, John Torpey (1853-1932) was an Irish poet and writer known for his works celebrating the beauty of the Irish countryside and the traditions of rural life. His poetry collection, "Songs of the Irish Valleys," published in 1901, received critical acclaim.

Additionally, Michael Torpey (1905-1976) was an Irish-American Catholic priest and author who wrote extensively on topics related to theology and spirituality. His book, "The Spiritual Life: A Treatise on Ascetical and Mystical Theology," published in 1943, became a widely respected reference work.

Throughout history, the Torpey surname has been associated with various locations in Ireland, including counties like Cork, Kerry, and Tipperary, where the name was particularly prevalent. The name has also been subject to various spellings, such as Torpy, Torbie, and Torbie, reflecting the diversity of dialects and regional variations in Ireland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Torpey

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!