2000
#25,945
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 889
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.33
Rare Last name
Toure
A surname of West African origin, likely indicating a person's occupation as a metalworker or blacksmith.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,008 Americans carry the last name Toure. That puts it at #8,984 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 85,518 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Toure 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 Toure with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 85,518
Census rank
#8,984
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,495 bearers of the surname Toure in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8984th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Toure, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and White (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Toure
The surname Toure has its origins in the West African nation of Mali, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Bambara language, which is spoken by the Bambara people, one of the largest ethnic groups in Mali. The name is believed to have come from the Bambara word "tore," which means "elephant hunter" or "elephant keeper."
During the time of the Mali Empire, which flourished from the 13th to the 17th century, the Toure surname was associated with individuals who held positions of importance or authority. These individuals were often involved in the hunting or management of elephants, as elephants were highly valued for their ivory tusks and their use in warfare.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Toure name can be found in the chronicles of the Mali Empire, which mention a prominent military leader named Toure Kanda, who served under the famous ruler Mansa Musa in the early 14th century. Kanda was known for his bravery and skill in battle, and his exploits were celebrated in oral traditions and written accounts of the time.
As the Mali Empire declined and various kingdoms and empires rose and fell in the region, the Toure surname continued to be passed down through generations. In the 19th century, a prominent Toure family emerged in the Wassoulou region of present-day Mali, known for their expertise in traditional music and their patronage of the arts.
One of the most famous individuals to bear the Toure surname was Batourou Sekou Toure, a Guinean political leader who played a pivotal role in the decolonization of Guinea from French rule. Born in 1922, Toure became the first President of Guinea in 1958 and ruled the country until his death in 1984.
Other notable figures with the Toure surname include:
1. Amadou Toure (1922-1992), a Malian writer and poet known for his works exploring themes of cultural identity and independence.
2. Samory Toure (1830-1900), a Malinke ruler who led a successful resistance against French colonial rule in West Africa.
3. Seydou Toure (1940-2013), a renowned Malian photographer whose work documented daily life in his country.
4. Aminata Toure (born 1962), a Guinean politician and human rights activist who has advocated for women's rights and democracy.
5. Saidou Toure (born 1983), a Burkinabe professional footballer who has played for various clubs in Europe and Africa.
The Toure surname has remained prevalent in Mali and other parts of West Africa, carrying with it a rich history and cultural significance that reflects the region's past and the enduring traditions of its people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Toure
Among Census respondents with the surname Toure, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and White (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Toure 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 Toure surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American91.2% · 3,187
- Two or more races3.5% · 124
- White2.7% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 73
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Toure
Toure 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
#13,764
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,198
+1,309 bearers (+147.2%)
Per 100,000 0.75
Rank movement Up 12,181 places
2020
#8,984
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,495
+1,297 bearers (+59.0%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Up 4,780 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,945 | 889 | 0.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,764 | 2,198 | 0.75 | +1,309 bearers (+147.2%) | Up 12,181 places |
| 2020 | #8,984 | 3,495 | 1.17 | +1,297 bearers (+59.0%) | Up 4,780 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 Toure 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 | #13,764 | #8,984 | 34.7% |
| Count | 2,198 | 3,495 | 59.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.75 | 1.17 | 55.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Toure bearers went from 2,198 to 3,495 (+59.0% change). The surname moved up 4,780 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,764 to #8,984.
FAQ
Toure surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Toure?
Name Census estimates that about 4,008 living Americans carry the surname Toure. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 85,518 residents.
How common is Toure?
Toure ranks #8,984 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.17 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,495 people with the surname Toure. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,008), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.17 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Toure.
Has Toure become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Toure went from 2,198 recorded bearers to 3,495. That is an increase of 1,297 (+59.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,764 to #8,984.
What does the Census say about the background of Toure?
Among Census respondents with the surname Toure, the largest self-reported group is Black at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and White (2.7%). 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 Toure in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (3,187 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Toure appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (91.2%), Two or More Races (3.5%), White (2.7%). 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 Toure (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 Toure mean?
A surname of West African origin, likely indicating a person's occupation as a metalworker or blacksmith. 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 Toure (1.17 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 common is the surname Toure?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Toure on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.