2000
#5,210
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,160
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.28
Rare Last name
Torrence
Derived from a place name meaning "from Torrance," referring to various locations in Scotland with this name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,150 Americans carry the last name Torrence. That puts it at #5,399 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,938 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Torrence 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 Torrence with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.2K
1 in 47,938
Census rank
#5,399
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,235 bearers of the surname Torrence in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5399th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Torrence, the largest self-reported group is Black at 45.8%. The next largest groups are White (45.5%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Torrence
The surname Torrence finds its origins in Scotland, where it emerged as a locational name derived from the Scottish place name Torrance, located in the region of Stirlingshire. The name is believed to have originated from the Gaelic term "torr," meaning a hill or a conical peak, and "innis," referring to a meadow or a river valley.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 12th century, with references found in ancient Scottish charters and land grants. One notable mention is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, where a certain John de Torance swore allegiance to King Edward I of England.
In the 14th century, the name Torrence appeared in various forms, including Torrance, Torrans, and Torrens, reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. The Torrence family played a significant role in the region's history, with several members holding prominent positions in the local community.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Sir Robert Torrence, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century. He was granted lands in Stirlingshire for his loyalty and bravery.
In the 16th century, the Torrence family established themselves as influential landowners and merchants in the Scottish Lowlands. James Torrence (1512-1585), a prosperous merchant and landowner, was known for his philanthropic efforts and contributions to the local church and community.
During the 17th century, the Torrence family expanded their influence, with several members serving in the Scottish military and local government. Captain William Torrence (1625-1692) was a renowned soldier who fought in the English Civil War and later served as a magistrate in Stirlingshire.
As the Scots migrated to other parts of the British Empire and beyond, the Torrence surname spread across the globe. In the 18th century, John Torrence (1745-1819), a Scottish emigrant, settled in Virginia and became a prominent plantation owner and politician, serving in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Throughout history, the Torrence surname has been associated with various notable individuals, including the Scottish philosopher and economist Adam Torrence (1785-1848), the American Civil War general John Torrence (1824-1897), and the Canadian politician and businessman George Torrence (1865-1945).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Torrence
Among Census respondents with the surname Torrence, the largest self-reported group is Black at 45.8%. The next largest groups are White (45.5%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Torrence 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 Torrence surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American45.8% · 2,856
- White45.5% · 2,834
- Two or more races4.7% · 293
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 215
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Torrence
Torrence 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
#5,425
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,419
+259 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 2.18
Rank movement Down 215 places
2020
#5,399
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,235
-184 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 2.09
Rank movement Up 26 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,210 | 6,160 | 2.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,425 | 6,419 | 2.18 | +259 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 215 places |
| 2020 | #5,399 | 6,235 | 2.09 | -184 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 26 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 Torrence 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 | #5,425 | #5,399 | 0.5% |
| Count | 6,419 | 6,235 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.18 | 2.09 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Torrence bearers went from 6,419 to 6,235 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 26 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,425 to #5,399.
FAQ
Torrence surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Torrence?
Name Census estimates that about 7,150 living Americans carry the surname Torrence. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,938 residents.
How common is Torrence?
Torrence ranks #5,399 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,235 people with the surname Torrence. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,150), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Torrence.
Has Torrence become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Torrence went from 6,419 recorded bearers to 6,235. That is a decrease of 184 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,425 to #5,399.
What does the Census say about the background of Torrence?
Among Census respondents with the surname Torrence, the largest self-reported group is Black at 45.8%. The next largest groups are White (45.5%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Torrence in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.8% (2,856 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Torrence appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (45.8%), White (45.5%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Torrence (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 Torrence mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "from Torrance," referring to various locations in Scotland with this name. 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 Torrence (2.09 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 share the surname Torrence?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.