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

Turay, 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 Turay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Turay in America

Turay is the 20408th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Turay surname appeared 1,302 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 Turay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Turay 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 Turay

The surname Turay has its origins in West Africa, specifically in the country of Sierra Leone. It is believed to have derived from the Temne language, which is one of the major ethnic groups in Sierra Leone. The name is thought to be a variation of the word "Turay," which means "hunter" or "warrior" in the Temne language.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Turay can be found in the chronicles of the Temne people, which date back to the 16th century. These chronicles mention several individuals with the surname Turay, who were renowned hunters and warriors in their respective communities.

In the 18th century, the surname Turay gained prominence in the region of Port Loko, a town located in the northern part of Sierra Leone. During this period, several families bearing the Turay surname were prominent landowners and traders in the area.

One notable individual with the surname Turay was Bai Bureh Turay, a Temne chief who led a resistance movement against British colonial rule in Sierra Leone in the late 19th century. Bai Bureh Turay, born around 1845, was a skilled military strategist and a fierce defender of his people's rights. His uprising, known as the Hut Tax War, lasted from 1898 to 1899 and was a significant event in the history of Sierra Leone's struggle for independence.

Another prominent figure with the surname Turay was Ishmael Turay, a Sierra Leonean diplomat and politician who served as the country's ambassador to the United Nations from 1971 to 1977. Ishmael Turay, born in 1924, played a crucial role in promoting Sierra Leone's interests on the international stage during his tenure as ambassador.

In the 20th century, the Turay surname also gained recognition in the field of sports. Ibrahim Turay, born in 1962, was a Sierra Leonean football player who represented his country at the international level and played for several clubs in Europe, including Anderlecht in Belgium and AS Monaco in France.

Alhaji Turay, born in 1945, was a Sierra Leonean diplomat and politician who served as the country's Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1986 to 1992. He played a crucial role in Sierra Leone's foreign policy during a period of political turmoil and civil unrest.

While the surname Turay has its roots in Sierra Leone, it has also been adopted by individuals in other parts of West Africa, particularly in neighboring countries like Guinea and Liberia, where the Temne people have historical connections.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Turay

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

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

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

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