NameCensus.

UK surname

Torrington

A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Torrington.

In the 1881 census there were 167 people recorded with the Torrington surname, ranking it #14,443 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 312, ranked #14,350, up from #14,443 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Bedminster and Portsmouth, Portsea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include North East Lincolnshire, Tewkesbury and Wirral.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Torrington is 339 in 1998. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 86.8%.

1881 census count

167

Ranked #14,443

Modern count

312

2016, ranked #14,350

Peak year

1998

339 bearers

Map years

7

1881 to 2016

Key insights

  • Torrington had 167 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #14,443 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 312 in 2016, ranked #14,350.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 212 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities.

Torrington surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Torrington surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Torrington 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 86 #18,820
1861 historical 98 #21,388
1881 historical 167 #14,443
1891 historical 140 #19,193
1901 historical 170 #16,762
1911 historical 212 #14,423
1997 modern 320 #12,966
1998 modern 339 #12,810
1999 modern 320 #13,398
2000 modern 317 #13,439
2001 modern 311 #13,423
2002 modern 307 #13,805
2003 modern 305 #13,662
2004 modern 307 #13,685
2005 modern 302 #13,788
2006 modern 295 #14,053
2007 modern 287 #14,464
2008 modern 291 #14,430
2009 modern 302 #14,353
2010 modern 311 #14,345
2011 modern 315 #14,131
2012 modern 310 #14,210
2013 modern 316 #14,223
2014 modern 316 #14,301
2015 modern 309 #14,430
2016 modern 312 #14,350

Geography

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Where Torringtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, Bedminster, Portsmouth, Portsea, Merthyr Dovan, Highlight and Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to North East Lincolnshire, Tewkesbury, Wirral and Selby. 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 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 Bedminster Somerset
3 Portsmouth, Portsea Hampshire
4 Merthyr Dovan, Highlight Glamorganshire
5 Leicester St Margaret and Bishop's Fee, Leicester All Saints, Blackfriars Leicestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 North East Lincolnshire 019 North East Lincolnshire
2 Tewkesbury 005 Tewkesbury
3 Wirral 021 Wirral
4 Selby 005 Selby
5 Wirral 016 Wirral

Forenames

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First names often paired with Torrington

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Torrington

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

Baseline UK

Group

Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities

Nationally, the Torrington surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Legacy Industrial and Coastal Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Torrington household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Single-person households are common in these neighbourhoods, and these residents are typically divorced rather than never married. A high proportion of residents were born outside the UK in the EU. There are many young adults, some with young children, but relatively few residents are of normal retirement age or over. Although levels of identification with ethnic minorities are in line with the Supergroup average, individuals identifying with Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is more common than average. High long-term disability rates are observed, and unpaid care is more common than in the rest of the Group. The predominant housing types are terraced houses and flats, which are typically part of the social rented sector. This Group is commonly found in coastal areas and (present-day or former) industrial towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Torrington is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. 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

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Torrington is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Torrington falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Torrington is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Torrington

The surname Torrington originated in England, specifically in the county of Devon. It is derived from the place name Torrington, which means "the town on the River Torridge." This place name can be traced back to the early medieval period, and it is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Toritone."

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Torrington date back to the 13th century. One notable example is Roger de Torrington, who was listed in the Pipe Rolls of Devon in 1242. Another early reference is found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentions a John de Torrington.

During the Middle Ages, the name was sometimes spelled as Torytone or Toritone, reflecting the local dialect and variations in orthography at the time. As people began to adopt hereditary surnames, those living in or near the town of Torrington adopted the name as a way to identify their place of origin.

In the 16th century, Sir John Torrington (c. 1510-1570) was a prominent figure who served as a member of parliament and held various positions in the English government. Another notable bearer of the name was Samuel Torrington (1635-1695), an English clergyman and writer who authored several religious works.

In the 18th century, George Torrington (1752-1831) was a British naval officer who achieved the rank of Admiral and played a significant role in the Battle of the Nile during the Napoleonic Wars. His contemporary, William Torrington (1760-1835), was an English architect known for designing several churches and public buildings in London.

Moving into the 19th century, Edward Torrington (1810-1878) was a British politician and lawyer who served as a member of parliament and was involved in various legal reforms. Another notable figure was John Torrington (1825-1898), an English artist and illustrator who produced numerous works depicting landscapes and rural life.

Throughout history, the name Torrington has remained closely associated with its origins in the county of Devon, reflecting the strong ties between place names and the development of surnames in England.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Torrington families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Torrington 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. Middlesex leads with 38 Torringtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 2.33x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 38 2.33x
Somerset 31 11.82x
Glamorgan 16 5.64x
Surrey 15 1.89x
Devon 11 3.24x
Monmouthshire 10 8.49x
Gloucestershire 8 2.50x
Lancashire 8 0.41x
Denbighshire 5 8.13x
Durham 5 1.03x
Flintshire 5 11.42x
Staffordshire 4 0.73x
Yorkshire 4 0.25x
Hampshire 2 0.60x
Worcestershire 2 0.94x
Essex 1 0.31x
Hertfordshire 1 0.89x
Lincolnshire 1 0.38x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bedminster in Somerset leads with 18 Torringtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 73.05x.

Place Total Index
Bedminster 18 73.05x
St Woollos 10 76.10x
Cardiff St John 9 97.19x
Bermondsey 8 16.49x
Roath 7 54.35x
Shoreditch London 7 9.91x
Taunton St James 7 183.25x
St Botolph Aldersgate 6 320.86x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 5 16.62x
Buckfastleigh 5 320.51x
Islington London 5 3.17x
Knowstone 5 2083.33x
Mold 5 125.94x
Stockton On Tees 5 21.40x
Taunton St Mary 5 103.95x
Wrexham Regis 5 109.41x
Camberwell 4 3.84x
Gate Fulford 4 106.10x
Habergham Eaves 4 22.64x
Battersea 3 5.01x
Hammersmith London 3 7.48x
Kensington London 3 3.31x
St Luke London 3 11.48x
St Pancras London 3 2.29x
Astley 2 454.55x
Cannock 2 20.86x
Clerkenwell London 2 5.20x
Gorton 2 11.01x
Pennington In Ulverston 2 208.33x
St George Hanover 2 9.41x
Walsall Foreign 2 7.04x
Boston 1 12.66x
Bristol St James St Paul 1 9.39x
Bristol St Michael 1 36.50x
Bristol Temple 1 47.62x
Dawlish 1 39.53x
Fulham London 1 4.23x
Hackney London 1 1.09x
Harwick St Nicholas 1 196.08x
Hornsey 1 4.85x
Portsea 1 1.53x
Portsmouth 1 13.00x
Royston 1 104.17x
Stoke Newington London 1 7.88x
Williton 1 113.64x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 10
Elizabeth 8
Charlotte 6
Ann 5
Martha 5
Ellen 4
Emily 3
Emma 3
Ada 2
Alice 2
Anna 2
Catherine 2
Clara 2
Harriet 2
Margaret 2
Sarah 2
Amelia 1
Caroline 1
Eliza 1
Esther 1
Eveline 1
Florence 1
Harriett 1
Henrietta 1
Jane 1
Julia 1
Louisa 1
Margary 1
Marion 1
Matilda 1
Maud 1
Niamo 1
Olive 1
Priscilla 1
Rebecca 1
Rhoda 1
Rosina 1
Susan 1
Willm. 1

Top male names

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

FAQ

Torrington surname: questions and answers

How common was the Torrington surname in 1881?

In 1881, 167 people were recorded with the Torrington surname. That placed it at #14,443 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Torrington surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 312 in 2016. That gives Torrington a modern rank of #14,350.

What does the Torrington surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Torrington.

What does the Torrington map show?

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