2000
#103,193
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 161
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Torode
A surname derived from the Old French word "tort" meaning twisted or crooked, possibly referring to someone with a physical deformity or living on a crooked street.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 181 Americans carry the last name Torode. That puts it at #116,774 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,893,670 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Torode surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Torode with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
181
1 in 1,893,670
Census rank
#116,774
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
158
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 158 bearers of the surname Torode in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 116774th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Torode, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Torode
The surname Torode is believed to have originated in the Channel Islands, specifically on the island of Guernsey, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old Norse word "Þōrir," meaning "Thor's rod" or "Thor's spear," referring to the god Thor from Norse mythology.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Torode appears in the Extente des Isles, a historical document compiled in 1331 that records the landowners and properties in the Channel Islands during that time. This document mentions a "Willm Torode" as a landowner on the island of Guernsey.
In the 16th century, the name Torode was also found in records from the nearby island of Jersey. A document from 1528 mentions a "Collyn Torode" as a resident of St. Ouen's parish on Jersey.
Throughout the centuries, the name has been spelled in various ways, including Torode, Toroud, Toroud, and Touroud. These variations likely arose due to the influence of different languages and dialects in the Channel Islands, as well as the evolution of spelling conventions over time.
One notable individual with the surname Torode was Samuel Torode (1756-1841), a prominent merchant and shipowner from Guernsey. He played a significant role in the island's trade and commerce during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Another notable figure was John Torode (1805-1859), a Guernsey-born poet and writer who published several collections of poetry and prose works in the 19th century.
In the 20th century, the name gained recognition through the acclaimed chef and television personality, John Torode (born 1965), who has appeared on various cooking shows and written several cookbooks.
Other notable individuals with the surname Torode include:
1. James Torode (1761-1824), a Guernsey-born merchant and shipowner who lived in London.
2. Thomas Torode (1818-1894), a Guernsey-born clergyman and author who served as the Dean of Guernsey.
3. William Torode (1886-1962), a Guernsey-born engineer and inventor who developed early refrigeration systems.
4. Marguerite Torode (1891-1974), a Guernsey-born artist known for her landscape paintings and portraiture.
5. Philip Torode (born 1951), a Guernsey-born businessman and former president of the Guernsey Chamber of Commerce.
While the surname Torode is relatively uncommon outside of the Channel Islands, it has a rich history and connections to the islands' culture, traditions, and notable figures throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Torode
Among Census respondents with the surname Torode, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Torode bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Torode surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.5% · 132
- Hispanic or Latino9.5% · 15
- Two or more races5.7% · 9
- Black or African American0.6% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Torode
Torode appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#104,602
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 171
+10 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 1,409 places
2020
#116,774
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 158
-13 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 12,172 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #103,193 | 161 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #104,602 | 171 | 0.06 | +10 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 1,409 places |
| 2020 | #116,774 | 158 | 0.05 | -13 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 12,172 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Torode surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #104,602 | #116,774 | -11.6% |
| Count | 171 | 158 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.05 | -11.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Torode bearers went from 171 to 158 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 12,172 positions in the national ranking, going from #104,602 to #116,774.
FAQ
Torode surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Torode?
Name Census estimates that about 181 living Americans carry the surname Torode. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,893,670 residents.
How common is Torode?
Torode ranks #116,774 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 158 people with the surname Torode. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (181), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Torode.
Has Torode become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Torode went from 171 recorded bearers to 158. That is a decrease of 13 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #104,602 to #116,774.
What does the Census say about the background of Torode?
Among Census respondents with the surname Torode, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Torode in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.5% (132 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Torode appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.5%), Hispanic (9.5%), Two or More Races (5.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Torode (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Torode mean?
A surname derived from the Old French word "tort" meaning twisted or crooked, possibly referring to someone with a physical deformity or living on a crooked street. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Torode (0.05 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Torode?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Torode on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.