Find out how popular the last name O'Toole is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named O'Toole.

O'Toole, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the O'Toole surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of O'Toole in America

O'Toole is the 66164th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The O'Toole surname appeared 299 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname O'Toole.

We can also compare 2010 data for O'Toole to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name O'Toole

The surname OTOOL has its origins in Ireland, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to be an Anglicized version of the Gaelic name Ó Tuathail, which translates to "descendant of Tuathal." Tuathal was a personal name derived from the Old Irish word "tuath," meaning "people" or "territory."

OTOOL is a variant spelling of the more common Irish surname O'Toole, which was initially found in County Kildare and the surrounding areas. The name is closely associated with the Uí Muiredhaigh dynasty, a powerful family that ruled over the Kingdom of Uí Muiredhaigh (modern-day County Kildare) during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the OTOOL name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The annals refer to several members of the O'Toole clan, including Muircheartach O'Toole, who was the King of Uí Muiredhaigh in the 11th century.

In the 12th century, the OTOOL name appeared in the Book of Leinster, a medieval Irish manuscript that contains a collection of historical and literary texts. The book mentions Gilla Críst Ó Tuathail, a prominent member of the O'Toole clan who lived during that period.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the OTOOL surname. One of the most famous was Laurence O'Toole (1128-1180), who served as the Archbishop of Dublin and was later canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church. Another prominent figure was Phelim O'Toole (c. 1600-1648), an Irish soldier who fought in the Confederate Wars of the 1640s.

In the 19th century, John O'Toole (1821-1890) was an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from New York. Liam O'Toole (1904-1993) was an Irish actor and playwright known for his roles in films such as "The Quiet Man" and "The Last Hurrah."

More recently, Peter O'Toole (1932-2013) was a renowned English actor and producer who received numerous accolades, including eight Academy Award nominations and an honorary Oscar for his lifetime achievement in film.

While the OTOOL surname has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and other countries with significant Irish diasporas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name O'Toole

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname O'Toole.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for O'Toole was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of O'Toole has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name O'Toole was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of O'Toole, please contact us.

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