Torrence History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland
Ireland

Early Origins of the Torrence family

The surname Torrence was first found in Stirlingshire. The name is a habitation name from either East Kilbride or north of Glasgow where it is derived from the Gaelic word "torran" which means "hillock" or "mound" or "little hills." 1

"John Torrance is recorded in Nethir Cloychtquharne in 1555, and John Torrance was a tenant of Newbattle Abbey in 1563. The name also occurs in Edinburgh in 1561 as Torrens. David Torrance (1840-1906), Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Connecticut, U. S., was born in Edinburgh." 2

Early History of the Torrence family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Torrence research. Another 132 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1563, 1690, 1780, 1864 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Torrence History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Torrence Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Torrance, Torrens, Torrence and others.

Early Notables of the Torrence family

More information is included under the topic Early Torrence Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Torrence Ranking

In the United States, the name Torrence is the 4,059^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Torrence family to Ireland

Some of the Torrence family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 123 words (9 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Torrence migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Torrence Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Torrence, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1828
Thomas Torrence, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1834 4
James Torrence, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1868

Contemporary Notables of the name Torrence (post 1700) +

Andrew Pumphrey Torrence (1920-1980), born in Little Rock, Arkansas, African-American university administrator, third president of Tennessee State University from 1968 to 1974, executive vice president and provost of Tuskegee University,
David Torrence (1985-2017), Peruvian-American middle-distance runner 9
Royal Torrence (1933-2016), American soul music singer, founder of Little Royal and The Swingmasters
Nathan Andrew "Nate" Torrence (b. 1977), American comedic actor, best known for his the role as Wade Bailey on the HBO series Hello Ladies
Leigh Torrence (b. 1982), American professional NFL football player, Super Bowl Champion (XLIV)
Gwen Torrence (b. 1965), American three-time Olympic gold medalist and three-time gold medalist World Championship sprinter
Dean Torrence (b. 1940), American singer, the Dean of 1960s singing group Jan and Dean
W. W. Torrence, American politician, U.S. Vice Consul General in Teheran, 1884 5
Robert B. Torrence, American politician, Member of California State Assembly 10th District, 1863 5
John Findlay Torrence (1819-1883), American politician, Member of Ohio State Senate, 1861-69; Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, 1869-71 5
... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html