Tol
A Hebrew masculine name meaning "little worm".
Name Census estimates that about 4 living Americans carry the first name Tol. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Tol today is around 68 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tol births was 1961 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tol. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Tol is about 68 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Tols were born before 1968.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Tol. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
4
~ 1 in 85,688,585 Americans
Peak year
1961
5 babies that year
Average age
68
years old
1961 SSA rank
#4,613
Tracked since 1961
Popularity
Tol: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Tol by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Tol during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Tol
The given name Tol finds its roots in the ancient Sumerian language, which flourished in Mesopotamia around 3500-3000 BC. It is believed to be derived from the Sumerian word "tul," meaning "to live" or "to endure." This suggests that the name Tol may have been bestowed upon individuals with the hope of a long and prosperous life.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tol can be found in the Sumerian King List, an ancient manuscript that chronicles the rulers of various Sumerian city-states. The list mentions a king named Tol-Amar, who is said to have ruled over the city of Badtibira around the 26th century BC.
In ancient Mesopotamian mythology, Tol was also the name of a minor deity associated with agriculture and fertility. This deity was often depicted holding sheaves of grain, symbolizing the abundance and prosperity associated with the name.
Throughout history, the name Tol has been borne by several notable individuals. One of the earliest was Tol-Kor, a Sumerian scribe and astronomer who lived around 2200 BC and is credited with developing one of the earliest known calendars.
During the medieval period, Tol-Ardashir was a renowned Persian architect and engineer who lived in the 6th century AD. He is best known for designing and overseeing the construction of the iconic Taq-e Kasra, a massive archway that was once part of the ancient city of Ctesiphon.
In more recent times, Tol Barad was a 19th-century Punjabi warrior and leader of the Sikh Khalsa Army. He played a pivotal role in the Anglo-Sikh Wars, leading his troops against the British East India Company in the 1840s.
Another notable figure was Tol Mohapatra, an Indian freedom fighter and revolutionary who lived from 1887 to 1971. He was actively involved in the Indian independence movement and was a member of the Anushilan Samiti, a revolutionary organization that sought to overthrow British rule through armed resistance.
Finally, Tol Reiners was a Dutch painter and printmaker who lived from 1858 to 1923. He is best known for his etchings and lithographs depicting landscapes and rural scenes, which captured the essence of Dutch countryside life during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
People
Tol + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tol as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Tol: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tol?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 4 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tol going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 85,688,585 US residents.
Is Tol a common name?
We classify Tol as "Very Rare". It ranks above 6.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tol most popular?
The single biggest year for Tol was 1961, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tol is about 68 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Tol in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Tol a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tol in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Tol still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Tol in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Tol can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Tol?
Find out how many Americans are named Tol on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.