2000
#6,514
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,806
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.78
Rare Last name
Toland
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Tuathaláin," meaning "descendant of Tuathalán" (a personal name of uncertain meaning).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,980 Americans carry the last name Toland. That puts it at #7,403 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 68,826 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Toland surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Toland with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.0K
1 in 68,826
Census rank
#7,403
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,343 bearers of the surname Toland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7403rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Toland, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.3%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Toland
Among Census respondents with the surname Toland, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.3%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Toland bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Toland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.6% · 3,545
- Black or African American10.3% · 449
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 147
- Two or more races3.4% · 146
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Toland
Toland appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,811
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,952
+146 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Down 297 places
2020
#7,403
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,343
-609 bearers (-12.3%)
Per 100,000 1.45
Rank movement Down 592 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,514 | 4,806 | 1.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,811 | 4,952 | 1.68 | +146 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 297 places |
| 2020 | #7,403 | 4,343 | 1.45 | -609 bearers (-12.3%) | Down 592 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Toland surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,811 | #7,403 | -8.7% |
| Count | 4,952 | 4,343 | -12.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.68 | 1.45 | -13.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Toland bearers went from 4,952 to 4,343 (-12.3% change). The surname moved down 592 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,811 to #7,403.
FAQ
Toland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Toland?
Name Census estimates that about 4,980 living Americans carry the surname Toland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 68,826 residents.
How common is Toland?
Toland ranks #7,403 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.45 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,343 people with the surname Toland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,980), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.45 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Toland.
Has Toland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Toland went from 4,952 recorded bearers to 4,343. That is a decrease of 609 (-12.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,811 to #7,403.
What does the Census say about the background of Toland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Toland, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.3%) and Hispanic (3.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Toland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.6% (3,545 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Toland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.6%), Black (10.3%), Hispanic (3.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Toland (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Toland mean?
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic "Ó Tuathaláin," meaning "descendant of Tuathalán" (a personal name of uncertain meaning). The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Toland (1.45 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Toland?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.