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

Torry, 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 Torry surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Torry in America

Torry is the 35866th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Torry surname appeared 626 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 Torry.

We can also compare 2010 data for Torry 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 Torry

The surname Torry has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "tor," which means a rocky hill or peak. This suggests that the name likely originated in the Highlands or other mountainous regions of Scotland, where the first bearers of the name may have resided near a distinctive rocky outcrop or tor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Torry can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that lists Scottish nobles and landowners who were forced to swear fealty to King Edward I of England. A certain Willelmus de Torry is mentioned, indicating that the name was already established by the late 13th century.

In the 15th century, a branch of the Torry family settled in the village of Pitsligo, Aberdeenshire. The name is closely associated with this area, and several historical records mention individuals with the surname Torry residing in Pitsligo or nearby settlements.

Notable individuals with the surname Torry throughout history include:

1. Sir John Torry (c. 1570-1640), a Scottish landowner and member of the Scottish Parliament.
2. Alexander Torry (1630-1712), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1697.
3. Patrick Torry (1763-1852), a Scottish civil engineer and surveyor who worked on various infrastructure projects, including the construction of the Caledonian Canal.
4. David Torry (1781-1863), a Scottish minister and writer, known for his work "The Substance of Christian Doctrine."
5. John Torry (1856-1935), a Scottish-born American botanist and renowned expert on the flora of the western United States.

The name Torry has also been associated with various place names, such as Torry Hill in Aberdeenshire and the district of Torry in Aberdeen, which likely derived their names from the surname or the Old English word "tor."

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Torry

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

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

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

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