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

Touray, 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 Touray surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Touray in America

Touray is the 32438th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Touray surname appeared 709 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 Touray.

We can also compare 2010 data for Touray 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 Touray

The surname Touray is of Senegalese origin, traced back to the early 16th century in the region of Sine-Saloum, located in the west of present-day Senegal. It is derived from the Serer word "tour," meaning a large village or settlement, and the suffix "-ay," indicating a place of origin or residence. The name was initially used to identify individuals who hailed from a specific large village within the Sine-Saloum area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Touray surname appears in a 1589 document from the Kingdom of Sine, which mentions a local noble named Mbarou Touray. This document provides evidence of the surname's existence and usage during the late 16th century within the region.

In the 17th century, the name Touray surfaced in Dutch records related to trade activities along the Senegambian coast. A Dutch merchant named Jan Touray, born around 1640, is mentioned as a prominent figure in the regional trade networks, facilitating the exchange of goods between European traders and local communities.

During the 18th century, the Touray surname gained prominence with the rise of the Serer scholar and diplomat, Lat-Dior Touray (1703-1782). Lat-Dior Touray played a crucial role in fostering relations between the Kingdom of Sine and European powers, particularly the French, and is remembered for his diplomatic efforts and contributions to the preservation of Serer culture and traditions.

In the 19th century, the Touray family produced several notable figures, including Moussa Touray (1810-1885), a prominent military leader who played a significant role in the resistance against French colonial expansion in Senegal. Moussa Touray's efforts and leadership during this period have left a lasting legacy in the region's history.

Another prominent individual bearing the Touray surname was Fatima Touray (1865-1932), a respected educator and advocate for women's rights in Senegal. Fatima Touray established several schools for girls and worked tirelessly to promote education and empowerment for women in her community.

Throughout history, the Touray surname has been associated with various locations and place names within the Sine-Saloum region, such as Touray-Mbour, Touray-Sine, and Touray-Sokhor, reflecting the diverse origins and settlements of families bearing this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Touray

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

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

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

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