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

Toa, 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 Toa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Toa in America

Toa is the 85357th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Toa surname appeared 219 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 Toa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Toa 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 Toa

The surname TOA is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the region of Tuscany, during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Latin word "todus," which means "a small bird." This could suggest that the name was initially given as a nickname to someone who had a small, bird-like appearance or mannerisms.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name TOA can be found in a 13th-century document from the city of Florence, where a certain Giovanni Toa is mentioned as a landowner. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the area by that time.

In the 14th century, the name appears in several records from the town of Siena, where a family bearing the surname Toa held a prominent position among the local nobility. One notable member of this family was Matteo Toa, a renowned philosopher and theologian who lived between 1320 and 1389.

During the Renaissance period, the name Toa gained further recognition with the rise of the poet and humanist Pietro Toa (1472-1547), who was born in the small village of Montepulciano. His works, which celebrated the beauty of the Tuscan countryside and the virtues of rural life, were widely acclaimed throughout Italy and beyond.

In the 17th century, a branch of the Toa family settled in the city of Venice, where they established themselves as successful merchants and traders. One of their descendants, Marco Toa (1625-1692), played a significant role in the development of the city's glass-making industry and is credited with introducing several innovative techniques.

Another notable figure with the surname Toa was the 19th-century artist and sculptor Giovanni Toa (1814-1884), who hailed from the town of Lucca. His works, which often depicted scenes from classical mythology, were highly regarded and can be found in various museums and galleries across Italy.

Throughout its history, the surname Toa has maintained a strong presence in Italy, particularly in the regions of Tuscany and Umbria. While it may not be among the most common surnames in the country, it has nevertheless left an indelible mark on Italian culture and society.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Toa

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Toa.

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 Toa 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 Toa 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 Toa was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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