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

Toland, 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 Toland surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Toland in America

Toland is the 6811th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Toland surname appeared 4,952 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Toland.

We can also compare 2010 data for Toland 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 Toland

The surname Toland originated in Ireland, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is believed to be an Anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic name Ó Tomaltaigh or Ó Toghalaigh, which means "descendants of Tomaltach" or "descendants of Toghallach." Tomaltach and Toghallach were personal names derived from the Gaelic words "tomalt" meaning "felicity" or "worldly prosperity," and "toghail" meaning "to destroy" or "to demolish."

The earliest known recording of the name Toland can be found in the Fiants of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, where it appears as "Tomoltoghe" in County Donegal in the late 16th century. The name was also recorded in the Hearth Money Rolls of Dublin in 1663, indicating its presence in the capital city during that time.

One of the earliest notable figures bearing the Toland surname was John Toland, a renowned philosopher and free-thinker born in Ardagh, County Donegal, in 1670. He is often referred to as the "Father of Deism" and is known for his influential works challenging traditional religious beliefs.

Another prominent individual with the Toland name was George Toland (1768-1835), an Irish-born soldier and politician who served as the 24th Governor of South Carolina from 1804 to 1806. He played a significant role in the American Revolutionary War and later became a prominent figure in South Carolina politics.

In the literary world, Gregor Toland (1835-1904) was an Irish novelist and short story writer who gained recognition for his works depicting rural life in Ireland. His most famous novel, "Rhymes and Renderings," published in 1893, received critical acclaim.

The Toland surname also has a connection to the entertainment industry. Michael Toland (1875-1938) was an American film actor and director who appeared in over 100 films during the silent era of Hollywood.

Lastly, John Toland (1912-2004), an American historian and author, made significant contributions to the study of World War II history. His book "The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945" is considered a seminal work on the Pacific Theater during World War II.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Toland

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

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

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

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