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

Todd, 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 Todd surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Todd in America

Todd is the 460th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Todd surname appeared 71,759 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 24 people would have the surname Todd.

We can also compare 2010 data for Todd 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 Todd

The surname Todd has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is an occupational name derived from the Old English word "todde," which referred to a person who dealt with the preparation and sale of a coarse woollen cloth called "tod."

The name first appeared in records in the 13th century, with early variations including Todde, Toddes, and Toddy. One of the earliest documented references is found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which mentions a person named William Todde.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are several place names that may have contributed to the development of the surname, such as Toddenham (Suffolk) and Toddeworth (Gloucestershire). These place names likely originated from Old English words meaning "the homestead or enclosure of a person called Todda."

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Sir Brian Todd, a prominent English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War during the 14th century. Another notable figure was Thomas Todd (c. 1555-1615), an English translator and clergyman who published a revised edition of the Bible known as the "Thomistic Version."

In the 16th century, the name Todd was associated with the wool trade in the West Riding of Yorkshire. John Todd (c. 1500-1573), a wealthy wool merchant from Bradford, was instrumental in the establishment of the town's textile industry.

During the 17th century, the Todd family established themselves as influential landowners in Northumberland. Sir William Todd (1622-1686) was a notable member of this branch, serving as a Member of Parliament and High Sheriff of Northumberland.

Other notable individuals with the surname Todd include Hugh Todd (1658-1728), an Irish-born merchant and landowner in Pennsylvania; Alpheus Todd (1821-1884), an American jurist and legal scholar; and Mary Todd Lincoln (1818-1882), the wife of President Abraham Lincoln.

The surname Todd has also been prominent in Scotland, particularly in the Borders region. Families with this surname have played significant roles in the history of Scottish clans and have contributed to various fields, including literature, politics, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Todd

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!