NameCensus.

UK surname

Tormey

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic personal name Tórmach, meaning "descended from Thor".

In the 1881 census there were 53 people recorded with the Tormey surname, ranking it #26,134 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 242, ranked #17,177, up from #26,134 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Braeside, Branchton, Lower Larkfield and Ravenscraig, Pembrokeshire and Wirral.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Tormey is 252 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 356.6%.

1881 census count

53

Ranked #26,134

Modern count

242

2016, ranked #17,177

Peak year

2014

252 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Tormey had 53 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,134 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 242 in 2016, ranked #17,177.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 85 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ageing Communities.

Tormey surname distribution map

The map shows where the Tormey surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Tormey surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Tormey over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 15 #30,614
1861 historical 53 #27,253
1881 historical 53 #26,134
1891 historical 61 #29,103
1901 historical 71 #26,277
1911 historical 85 #24,322
1997 modern 229 #16,168
1998 modern 230 #16,607
1999 modern 236 #16,404
2000 modern 235 #16,423
2001 modern 222 #16,806
2002 modern 242 #16,186
2003 modern 235 #16,291
2004 modern 234 #16,416
2005 modern 240 #16,092
2006 modern 236 #16,384
2007 modern 247 #16,042
2008 modern 248 #16,163
2009 modern 246 #16,597
2010 modern 246 #16,975
2011 modern 242 #17,001
2012 modern 232 #17,401
2013 modern 250 #16,778
2014 modern 252 #16,822
2015 modern 247 #16,941
2016 modern 242 #17,177

Geography

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Where Tormeys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Braeside, Branchton, Lower Larkfield and Ravenscraig, Pembrokeshire, Wirral, Rushcliffe and Westminster. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Braeside, Branchton, Lower Larkfield and Ravenscraig Inverclyde
2 Pembrokeshire 002 Pembrokeshire
3 Wirral 026 Wirral
4 Rushcliffe 014 Rushcliffe
5 Westminster 004 Westminster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Tormey

These lists show first names that appear often with the Tormey surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Tormey

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Tormey, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Ageing Communities

Nationally, the Tormey surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ageing Communities, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Tormey household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many residents are of normal retirement age or above and live in communal establishments, and there are few dependent children. The dominant property type is a mix of retirement flats and detached houses. Those in work are likely to be employed in managerial and professional occupations, and many residents are educated to degree level. Levels of owner occupation are high, but the private rental sector is also present. Rural locations predominate.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Tormey is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Tormey is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Tormey falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Tormey is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Tormey, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Tormey

The surname Tormey originated in Ireland in the 12th century. It is an anglicized version of the Gaelic surname O'Tuairmey, which means "descendant of Tuairmey." Tuairmey is derived from the Gaelic word "torm," meaning "noise" or "clamor."

The Tormey name was first recorded in County Mayo, located in the province of Connacht in western Ireland. The earliest known bearer of the name was Domhnall O'Tuairmey, who lived in the late 12th century and was a member of a prominent family in the region.

In the 16th century, the Tormey surname was found in various historical records, including the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. One notable reference is to Tadhg Tormey, who was described as a learned man and a skilled poet in the early 17th century.

The Tormey name also appears in the Fiants of the Tudor Conquest, a collection of official documents from the 16th and 17th centuries. These records mention several individuals with the surname, such as Muiris Tormey, who was granted land in County Mayo in 1604.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Tormey surname was in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of Irish history from the 15th to the 17th century. It mentions Diarmuid Tormey, who was involved in a conflict between rival clans in the year 1487.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, several notable individuals bore the Tormey surname. Seán Tormey (1744-1818) was a prominent Irish poet and scholar who wrote extensively in the Gaelic language. John Tormey (1809-1890) was an Irish-born prelate who served as the Bishop of Brooklyn, New York, from 1853 until his death.

Another notable figure was Michael Tormey (1846-1922), an Irish-American architect who designed several churches and other buildings in the New York City area, including the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, New Jersey.

While the Tormey surname is predominantly Irish in origin, it has also been found in other parts of the world due to Irish immigration. One example is William Tormey (1873-1942), an Australian politician and trade union leader who served as a member of the Parliament of New South Wales.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Tormey families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Tormey surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 17 Tormeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.72x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 17 2.72x
Middlesex 13 2.47x
Derbyshire 5 6.06x
Essex 5 4.81x
Hampshire 5 4.63x
Denbighshire 4 20.10x
Surrey 4 1.56x
Royal Navy 1 15.92x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Edmonton in Middlesex leads with 8 Tormeys recorded in 1881 and an index of 188.68x.

Place Total Index
Edmonton 8 188.68x
Everton 7 35.14x
Chesterfield 5 161.81x
Islington London 5 9.79x
West Ham 5 21.78x
Lambeth 4 8.71x
Wrexham Regis 4 270.27x
Heaton Norris 3 84.27x
Widley 3 1578.95x
Manchester 2 7.11x
Portsea 2 9.45x
West Derby 2 10.93x
Burnley 1 19.01x
Liverpool 1 2.63x
Preston 1 5.98x
Royal Navy 1 18.62x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Tormey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 11
Margaret 4
Jane 3
Ellen 2
Anne 1
Catherine 1
Eliza 1
Emma 1
Jamy 1
Kate 1
May 1
Nora 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Tormey surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Tormey households.

FAQ

Tormey surname: questions and answers

How common was the Tormey surname in 1881?

In 1881, 53 people were recorded with the Tormey surname. That placed it at #26,134 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Tormey surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 242 in 2016. That gives Tormey a modern rank of #17,177.

What does the Tormey surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic personal name Tórmach, meaning "descended from Thor".

What does the Tormey map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Tormey bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.