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

Torrecillas, 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 Torrecillas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Torrecillas in America

Torrecillas is the 50771st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Torrecillas surname appeared 411 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 Torrecillas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Torrecillas 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 Torrecillas

The surname Torrecillas is of Spanish origin, originating from the region of Castilla-La Mancha during the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Spanish word "torrecilla," which means "small tower" or "watchtower." It likely referred to someone who lived near or worked at a small tower or fortification.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Torrecillas can be found in the Libro de la Montería, a 14th-century hunting treatise written for King Alfonso XI of Castile. The book mentions a place called "Torrecillas" in the province of Cuenca, suggesting that the surname may have originated from this area.

In the 15th century, a prominent figure bearing the surname Torrecillas was Juan de Torrecillas, a Spanish poet and courtier who served under King Juan II of Castile. Juan de Torrecillas was born in the late 14th century and died around 1450.

Another notable individual with this surname was Alonso de Torrecillas, a 16th-century Spanish navigator and explorer who accompanied Hernán Cortés on his expedition to Mexico in 1519. Alonso de Torrecillas played a crucial role in the conquest of Mexico and is mentioned in several historical accounts of the time.

During the 17th century, a famous bearer of the surname Torrecillas was Diego de Torrecillas y Velasco, a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 1678 to 1683.

In the 18th century, Pedro Torrecillas y Hijar was a Spanish nobleman and military officer who served as the Governor of Nueva Vizcaya, a province in northern Mexico, from 1739 to 1743.

The surname Torrecillas can also be found in various place names throughout Spain, such as the village of Torrecillas de la Tiesa in the province of Cáceres and the town of Torrecillas de la Orden in the province of Valladolid. These place names likely derived from the presence of small towers or fortifications in those areas, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and its historical meaning.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Torrecillas

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

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

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

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