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

Touchstone, 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 Touchstone surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Touchstone in America

Touchstone is the 15391st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Touchstone surname appeared 1,905 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Touchstone.

We can also compare 2010 data for Touchstone 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 Touchstone

The surname Touchstone is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period. It is thought to be an occupational name, derived from the Old French words "touche" meaning "to touch" and "pierre" meaning "stone." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who worked with touchstones, which were small pieces of dark stone used to test the quality of precious metals.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Touchstone name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1230, where a William Touchestone is mentioned. The name also appears in various other historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries, often with slight variations in spelling, such as Tuchestan, Tuchston, and Tuchstone.

In the 16th century, the Touchstone surname is associated with several notable individuals. Sir Roger Touchstone (1512-1585) was an English courtier and member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another person of note was William Touchstone (1564-1623), a renowned Puritan clergyman and author who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds.

During the 17th century, the Touchstone name gained prominence in various parts of England. John Touchstone (1610-1676) was a highly respected lawyer and judge who served as the Recorder of Coventry. Another individual worth mentioning is Thomas Touchstone (1658-1718), a renowned architect who designed several prestigious buildings in London, including the Church of St. Mary Woolnoth.

In the 18th century, the Touchstone surname continued to be associated with notable figures. One such individual was Richard Touchstone (1721-1789), a prominent merchant and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Bristol. Additionally, there was William Touchstone (1753-1821), a celebrated English poet and writer who was known for his satirical works.

The 19th century saw the Touchstone name spread to various parts of the world, including North America and Australia, as a result of immigration. One notable figure from this period was George Touchstone (1815-1892), a Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia.

Throughout its history, the Touchstone surname has been carried by numerous individuals from various walks of life, including artists, writers, lawyers, politicians, and clergymen. While the name has evolved over time, its origins can be traced back to the occupation of testing precious metals in medieval England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Touchstone

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

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

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

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