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

Tolan, 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 Tolan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tolan in America

Tolan is the 15140th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tolan surname appeared 1,948 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 Tolan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tolan 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 Tolan

The surname Tolan is believed to have originated in Ireland, where it was first recorded in the 12th century. It is likely derived from the Irish Gaelic word "tolán," meaning "homestead" or "small village." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in a small settlement or homestead.

In ancient Irish records, the name is sometimes spelled as "Tolane" or "Tolain." One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the 17th century. The Annals mention a man named Tadhg Tolain, who was a prominent figure in County Sligo during the 13th century.

The Tolan surname is particularly associated with counties Mayo and Sligo in the western part of Ireland. It is believed that many families bearing this name can trace their ancestry back to these regions. In the 16th century, the name appears in various land records and legal documents related to the Gaelic nobility and landowners of the area.

One notable figure with the surname Tolan was Patrick Tolan, who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He was a member of the influential O'Conor clan and served as a chief advisor to the last great King of Connacht, Red Hugh O'Donnell. Patrick Tolan played a significant role in the political and military affairs of the region during the Nine Years' War against English forces.

Another prominent individual with the Tolan surname was John Tolan, a 17th-century Catholic priest and philosopher. Born in County Mayo around 1620, he received his education at the Irish College in Lisbon, Portugal, and later served as a professor of philosophy and theology at various universities across Europe.

In the 18th century, James Tolan, born in 1745 in County Sligo, was a notable figure in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. He fought alongside the United Irishmen, a republican revolutionary group seeking to end British rule in Ireland. James Tolan was captured and executed by British forces in 1798 for his involvement in the rebellion.

The Tolan name also appears in historical records related to the Irish diaspora and emigration to other parts of the world. For example, in the early 19th century, a family bearing the surname Tolan settled in Newfoundland, Canada, where they established themselves as prominent merchants and landowners.

Throughout history, the Tolan surname has maintained its strong association with its Irish roots and has been carried by individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields, including politics, religion, and military affairs.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tolan

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

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

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

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