NameCensus.

UK surname

Torry

A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Turriff in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

In the 1881 census there were 241 people recorded with the Torry surname, ranking it #11,374 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 248, ranked #16,910, down from #11,374 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Kelton, London parishes and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include IZ10, Derby and IZ20.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Torry is 287 in 1901. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 2.9%.

1881 census count

241

Ranked #11,374

Modern count

248

2016, ranked #16,910

Peak year

1901

287 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Torry had 241 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,374 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 248 in 2016, ranked #16,910.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 287 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Torry surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Torry surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Torry 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 206 #10,183
1861 historical 201 #11,949
1881 historical 241 #11,374
1891 historical 273 #11,918
1901 historical 287 #12,001
1911 historical 249 #12,951
1997 modern 262 #14,814
1998 modern 268 #14,978
1999 modern 273 #14,875
2000 modern 269 #14,983
2001 modern 265 #14,915
2002 modern 260 #15,415
2003 modern 251 #15,563
2004 modern 255 #15,504
2005 modern 242 #15,987
2006 modern 236 #16,384
2007 modern 235 #16,668
2008 modern 234 #16,827
2009 modern 245 #16,646
2010 modern 248 #16,886
2011 modern 240 #17,093
2012 modern 242 #16,886
2013 modern 246 #16,979
2014 modern 247 #17,035
2015 modern 252 #16,705
2016 modern 248 #16,910

Geography

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Where Torrys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Kelton, London parishes, Edinburgh, Sheffield and Benholm. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to IZ10, Derby, IZ20, Rotherham and Sheffield. 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 Kelton Kirkcudbright
2 London parishes London 3
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Sheffield Yorkshire, West Riding
5 Benholm Kincardine

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 IZ10 East Lothian
2 Derby 006 Derby
3 IZ20 East Lothian
4 Rotherham 015 Rotherham
5 Sheffield 019 Sheffield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Torry

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Torry

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

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Torry surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Torry 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Torry 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

Torry is most concentrated in decile 9 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.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Torry 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 Torry is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 20-25 mbit/s.

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

4
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Torry

The surname Torry has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "tor," which means a rocky hill or peak. This suggests that the name likely originated in the Highlands or other mountainous regions of Scotland, where the first bearers of the name may have resided near a distinctive rocky outcrop or tor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Torry can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that lists Scottish nobles and landowners who were forced to swear fealty to King Edward I of England. A certain Willelmus de Torry is mentioned, indicating that the name was already established by the late 13th century.

In the 15th century, a branch of the Torry family settled in the village of Pitsligo, Aberdeenshire. The name is closely associated with this area, and several historical records mention individuals with the surname Torry residing in Pitsligo or nearby settlements.

Notable individuals with the surname Torry throughout history include:

1. Sir John Torry (c. 1570-1640), a Scottish landowner and member of the Scottish Parliament. 2. Alexander Torry (1630-1712), a Scottish minister and theologian who served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1697. 3. Patrick Torry (1763-1852), a Scottish civil engineer and surveyor who worked on various infrastructure projects, including the construction of the Caledonian Canal. 4. David Torry (1781-1863), a Scottish minister and writer, known for his work "The Substance of Christian Doctrine." 5. John Torry (1856-1935), a Scottish-born American botanist and renowned expert on the flora of the western United States.

The name Torry has also been associated with various place names, such as Torry Hill in Aberdeenshire and the district of Torry in Aberdeen, which likely derived their names from the surname or the Old English word "tor."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Torry families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Torry 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. Lincolnshire leads with 33 Torrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 8.89x.

County Total Index
Lincolnshire 33 8.89x
Middlesex 29 1.25x
Yorkshire 26 1.13x
East Lothian 23 74.80x
Surrey 18 1.59x
Kincardineshire 17 60.13x
Midlothian 13 4.18x
Banffshire 11 22.84x
Kirkcudbrightshire 9 26.78x
Nottinghamshire 7 2.24x
Staffordshire 7 0.89x
Aberdeenshire 6 2.79x
Cheshire 6 1.17x
Cambridgeshire 4 2.72x
Lanarkshire 4 0.53x
Stirlingshire 4 4.67x
Angus 3 1.39x
Cornwall 3 1.14x
Morayshire 3 8.32x
Fife 2 1.46x
Hertfordshire 2 1.25x
Huntingdonshire 2 4.34x
Kent 2 0.25x
Gloucestershire 1 0.22x
Hampshire 1 0.21x
Lancashire 1 0.04x
Northumberland 1 0.29x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Innerwick in East Lothian leads with 18 Torrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 2903.23x.

Place Total Index
Innerwick 18 2903.23x
Camberwell 13 8.77x
Benholm 9 743.80x
Hammersmith London 9 15.74x
Kelton 9 326.09x
Fetteresso 8 180.59x
Wrawby 8 800.00x
Brightside Bierlow 7 15.51x
Islington London 7 3.11x
Okeover 7 11666.67x
Balby Cum Hexthorpe 6 218.18x
Newington 6 94.64x
Sheffield 6 8.19x
St Marylebone London 6 4.84x
Tranmere 6 31.86x
Wragby 6 1463.41x
Banff 5 119.62x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 4.00x
Waddingham 5 877.19x
Aberdeen St Nicholas 4 9.94x
Boston 4 35.52x
Falkirk 4 19.96x
Great Grimsby 4 16.98x
Newark Upon Trent 4 35.56x
Ratho 4 275.86x
Budock 3 151.52x
Forglen 3 508.47x
Lenton 3 40.71x
Spott 3 652.17x
Barony 2 1.05x
Beckingham 2 740.74x
Coupar Angus 2 98.04x
Dunbar 2 46.40x
Egham 2 28.82x
Forgan 2 76.05x
Forres 2 52.77x
Govan 2 1.08x
Maidstone 2 8.48x
North Leith 2 13.90x
Parson Drove 2 338.98x
Rothiemay 2 183.49x
Shoreditch London 2 1.99x
Thundridge 2 526.32x
Whitechapel London 2 8.74x
Aberdeen Old Machar 1 2.23x
Beswick 1 14.18x
Blyton 1 178.57x
Bristol St Mary Redcliff 1 24.10x
Clapham 1 3.45x
Earsdon 1 35.59x
Edinburgh St Georges 1 15.50x
Edinburgh St Stephens 1 16.34x
Elgin 1 14.25x
Fyvie 1 28.49x
Gamrie 1 18.59x
Hackney London 1 0.77x
Hendon 1 11.98x
Lambeth 1 0.49x
Leake 1 58.82x
Portsea 1 1.07x
Richmond 1 6.31x
Scarborough 1 4.78x
Skirbeck 1 48.08x
St Ives 1 41.84x
St Luke London 1 2.69x
St Neots 1 39.84x
St Peter Cambridge 1 204.08x
St Vigeans 1 8.61x
Willoughton 1 243.90x
Wisbech St Mary 1 59.17x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 16
Henry 7
William 7
George 6
James 5
Charles 3
Edward 3
Frederick 3
Harry 3
Joseph 2
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Arthur 1
Ebenezar 1
Edwd. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo.Tho. 1
Richard 1
Steven 1
Walter 1
Wm.John 1

FAQ

Torry surname: questions and answers

How common was the Torry surname in 1881?

In 1881, 241 people were recorded with the Torry surname. That placed it at #11,374 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Torry surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 248 in 2016. That gives Torry a modern rank of #16,910.

What does the Torry surname mean?

A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Turriff in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

What does the Torry map show?

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