2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Torsch
Possibly from the German word "torsch" meaning lame or crippled.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Torsch. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Torsch 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.
Bearers in the US
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Torsch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Torsch, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Torsch
The surname Torsch is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is thought to have derived from the Old German word "torsch," which referred to a bundle or sheaf of grain. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with farmers, agricultural workers, or perhaps individuals involved in the trading or distribution of grain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Bavarian town of Kirchdorf an der Amper, where a family by the name of Torsch is mentioned in municipal records dating back to the late 15th century. It is possible that the name may have also been present in other regions of southern Germany during this time period.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various historical documents, including tax records and land registries, in regions such as Franconia and Swabia. This indicates that the Torsch family had spread across several areas of what is now modern-day Germany.
One notable individual bearing the surname was Johann Torsch, a merchant from Nuremberg who lived in the early 17th century. His trade activities are documented in the city's commercial archives, suggesting that the Torsch family had achieved a degree of prosperity and social standing by this point.
Another historical figure was Hans Torsch, a soldier who fought in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). He served under the command of Count Tilly and is mentioned in several contemporary accounts of the conflict.
In the 18th century, the Torsch name can be found in records from the city of Augsburg, where a family of artisans and craftsmen resided. One member, Michael Torsch (1725-1798), was a respected woodcarver whose work adorned several churches and public buildings in the region.
Other notable individuals include Katharina Torsch (1789-1865), a midwife from Bavaria who was renowned for her skill and compassion, and Johann Georg Torsch (1817-1891), a poet and writer from Würzburg whose works celebrated the beauty of the German countryside.
While the Torsch surname has its roots in Germany, it is important to note that over the centuries, variants of the name may have emerged in other parts of Europe due to migration, intermarriage, or regional linguistic variations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Torsch
Among Census respondents with the surname Torsch, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Torsch 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 Torsch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 5
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Torsch
Torsch 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-10 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,086 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-7 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 4,303 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 19,086 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 4,303 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 Torsch 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 | #150,452 | #154,755 | -2.9% |
| Count | 109 | 102 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Torsch bearers went from 109 to 102 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 4,303 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #154,755.
FAQ
Torsch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Torsch?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Torsch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Torsch?
Torsch ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 102 people with the surname Torsch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Torsch.
Has Torsch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Torsch went from 109 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Torsch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Torsch, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Torsch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Torsch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (4.9%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Torsch (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 Torsch mean?
Possibly from the German word "torsch" meaning lame or crippled. 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 Torsch (0.03 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 are called Torsch?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Torsch on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.