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

Toby, 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 Toby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Toby in America

Toby is the 18028th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Toby surname appeared 1,548 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Toby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Toby 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 Toby

The surname Toby is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "topig" which means "at the top or highest hill." It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived at a prominent or elevated location.

The earliest recorded use of the surname Toby can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Tobi" and "Tobie." This suggests that the name was already present in England before the Norman Conquest.

During the Middle Ages, the name Toby was primarily concentrated in the counties of Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Yorkshire, where it was often associated with place names such as Toby Hill and Toby Priory.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Toby was John Toby, born around 1430 in Lincolnshire. He was a renowned scholar and theologian who served as the Bishop of Winchester from 1487 until his death in 1492.

Another notable figure was Sir William Toby, a military commander who fought alongside King Edward IV during the Wars of the Roses. He was born in Yorkshire around 1440 and played a crucial role in several battles, including the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471.

In the 16th century, the Toby family gained prominence in Nottinghamshire, with several members holding influential positions. One such individual was Robert Toby, born in 1543, who served as the High Sheriff of Nottinghamshire in 1582.

During the English Civil War, Captain James Toby, born in 1610 in Lincolnshire, fought for the Parliamentarian forces and was known for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.

In the literary world, the surname Toby is associated with John Toby, born in 1670 in Yorkshire, who was a renowned poet and playwright. His most famous work, "The Rival Milkmaids," was a popular comedy of its time.

Throughout history, the Toby surname has been subject to various spellings, including Tobie, Tobey, and Tobbie, reflecting regional differences and evolving linguistic trends.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Toby

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

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

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

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