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

Toh, 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 Toh surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Toh in America

Toh is the 47614th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Toh surname appeared 445 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 Toh.

We can also compare 2010 data for Toh 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 Toh

The surname TOH is believed to have originated in the region of Guangdong, China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is derived from the Chinese word "tou" which means "head" or "leader". The name was likely given to individuals who held positions of authority or leadership within their communities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name TOH can be found in the Guangdong Provincial Records from the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD). These records mention a village leader named TOH Wen-xian who was responsible for overseeing the construction of a new irrigation system.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), the name TOH became more widespread as many families adopted it as a way to honor their ancestors who had held positions of power or influence. One notable figure from this period was TOH Yu-lin (1512-1587), a renowned scholar and calligrapher who served as a high-ranking official in the imperial court.

In the 17th century, the name TOH began to appear in other regions of China as families migrated and settled in new areas. One prominent individual was TOH Xiang (1630-1707), a successful merchant and philanthropist from Fujian Province who established several schools and charitable organizations.

As Chinese immigrants began to settle in other parts of the world, the name TOH spread to various countries. In the 19th century, TOH Kun-sang (1822-1898) was a notable businessman and community leader among the Chinese diaspora in Singapore.

Another significant figure was TOH Wen-ming (1875-1942), a pioneering educator from Guangdong who founded one of the first Chinese schools in San Francisco, California, helping to preserve Chinese culture and language for subsequent generations of Chinese Americans.

Throughout its history, the surname TOH has been associated with leadership, scholarship, and community service. While its origins can be traced back to ancient China, the name has since gained a global presence, reflecting the diverse experiences and achievements of individuals who bear this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Toh

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

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

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

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