NameCensus.

UK surname

Torres

A surname of Spanish origin referring to someone who lived near a tower or worked as a watchman.

In the 1881 census there were 5 people recorded with the Torres surname, ranking it #33,110 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,000, ranked #5,806, up from #33,110 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Kensington and Chelsea, Cornwall and Barnet.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Torres is 1,000 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 19900.0%.

1881 census count

5

Ranked #33,110

Modern count

1,000

2016, ranked #5,806

Peak year

2016

1,000 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Torres had 5 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,110 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,000 in 2016, ranked #5,806.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 51 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Torres surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Torres surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Torres 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 5 #32,456
1861 historical 44 #28,433
1881 historical 5 #33,110
1891 historical 24 #32,320
1901 historical 35 #30,194
1911 historical 51 #27,708
1997 modern 365 #11,804
1998 modern 392 #11,512
1999 modern 415 #11,136
2000 modern 409 #11,221
2001 modern 402 #11,183
2002 modern 452 #10,408
2003 modern 466 #9,973
2004 modern 456 #10,188
2005 modern 491 #9,566
2006 modern 525 #9,135
2007 modern 571 #8,665
2008 modern 607 #8,330
2009 modern 692 #7,705
2010 modern 801 #7,018
2011 modern 776 #7,117
2012 modern 851 #6,521
2013 modern 911 #6,295
2014 modern 949 #6,129
2015 modern 952 #6,063
2016 modern 1,000 #5,806

Geography

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Where Torres' 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 Kensington and Chelsea, Cornwall, Barnet, Haringey and Wandsworth. 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 Kensington and Chelsea 006 Kensington and Chelsea
2 Cornwall 027 Cornwall
3 Barnet 029 Barnet
4 Haringey 035 Haringey
5 Wandsworth 020 Wandsworth

Forenames

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First names often paired with Torres

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Torres

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Torres, 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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Torres surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Torres household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Torres is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. 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

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Torres 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

Torres falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Torres 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Torres

The surname Torres is of Spanish origin and has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Castile and León. It is derived from the Spanish word "torre," meaning "tower" or "fortified structure." This suggests that the name's bearers may have been associated with living near or guarding a tower or similar fortification in medieval times.

The earliest recorded instances of the Torres surname can be traced back to the 11th and 12th centuries in various historical documents and records from the Kingdom of Castile and León. One notable example is the appearance of the name in the Becerro de las Behetrías, a medieval census and land registry compiled in the late 14th century during the reign of King Pedro I of Castile.

During the Reconquista, the period when Christian kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula fought to reclaim territories from Moorish rule, individuals with the Torres surname played a role in the military campaigns and the subsequent repopulation of conquered areas. This may have contributed to the widespread dissemination of the name across Spain.

Historically, the Torres surname has been associated with several notable individuals. One such figure was Pedro Ruiz de Torres Cabrera (1499-1571), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru alongside Francisco Pizarro. He was granted encomiendas (a system of labor and tributes) in recognition of his service.

Another prominent bearer of the Torres name was Juan Rodríguez de Torres (c. 1580-1638), a Spanish admiral and explorer who commanded several expeditions to the Pacific Ocean and the coasts of California and the Pacific Northwest in the early 17th century.

In the realm of literature, the Torres surname is associated with the Spanish poet and playwright Jerónimo de Torres y Aguilera (c. 1545-1619), known for his works such as "La Austríada" and "La Penitencia de Amor."

In the field of art, the Spanish painter and engraver Juan de Torres Martínez (c. 1625-1679) made significant contributions to the Baroque style of painting in Spain during the 17th century.

It is also worth mentioning that the Torres surname has been widely adopted and disseminated across Latin America, particularly in regions like Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela, due to the Spanish colonization of the Americas.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Torres families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Torres 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. Norfolk leads with 2 Torres' recorded in 1881 and an index of 26.81x.

County Total Index
Norfolk 2 26.81x
Lancashire 1 1.74x
Middlesex 1 2.06x
Staffordshire 1 6.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Heigham in Norfolk leads with 2 Torres' recorded in 1881 and an index of 500.00x.

Place Total Index
Heigham 2 500.00x
Burslem 1 212.77x
Cheetham 1 232.56x
Paddington London 1 56.18x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Elizth. 1
Fannie 1
Frances 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
David 1
John 1

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 Torres households.

FAQ

Torres surname: questions and answers

How common was the Torres surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5 people were recorded with the Torres surname. That placed it at #33,110 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Torres surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,000 in 2016. That gives Torres a modern rank of #5,806.

What does the Torres surname mean?

A surname of Spanish origin referring to someone who lived near a tower or worked as a watchman.

What does the Torres map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Torres 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.