Meaning/Word Origin of Torrance

In Scottish Gaelic, the name Torrance comes from torran, which means a "little hill," "hillock," or "mound". It is the diminutive form of torr, meaning a heap or hill. The Scottish village and surname translate to "the place of the little hillocks" or "from the knolls". [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Gaelic Roots

Torr: A high mound, rock, or hill.
Torran: A small hill, knoll, or little hillock.
An Toran: The Gaelic place name used for the village in East Dunartonshire, Scotland.
The "-s": Added later as an English or Scots plural suffix after entering common speech, rather than being part of the original Gaelic root. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]

Specifically, the city of Torrance is named after Founder Jared Sidney Torrance