2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Tolber
Likely an anglicized variant of a German occupational surname for a toll collector.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Tolber. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tolber 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.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Tolber in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tolber, the largest self-reported group is Black at 64.8%. The next largest groups are White (15.7%) and Hispanic (10.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tolber
The surname Tolber is believed to have originated in the region of Lincolnshire, England, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "tol" meaning "tax" or "toll" and "burg" meaning "fort" or "fortified town." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a fortified town where tolls were collected, or someone who was employed as a toll collector.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tolber can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a Roger de Tolbur is mentioned in connection with lands in Lincolnshire. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the area by the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the surname appears in various spellings, including Tolebar, Tolbere, and Tolbure, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common during that time. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 list a John Tolbere from Lincolnshire, while the Poll Tax Returns of 1379 record a Thomas Tolbere from the same county.
The name Tolber is also associated with several place names in Lincolnshire, such as Tolbar Hill and Tolbar Gate, which further reinforces its connection to the region and the idea of a toll or tax collection point.
One notable historical figure with the surname Tolber was Sir John Tolber (c. 1420-1489), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire in the late 15th century. He was a prominent figure in the county and served as High Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1472.
Another individual of note was William Tolber (c. 1525-1583), a Protestant clergyman and author during the Elizabethan era. He was known for his writings on religious subjects and his involvement in the English Reformation.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various records, such as the Parish Registers of Lincolnshire, where entries for births, marriages, and deaths of individuals with the surname Tolber can be found.
A later figure of significance was Edward Tolber (1699-1778), a successful merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire, who was instrumental in the development of the local wool trade.
Finally, one of the most notable individuals with the surname Tolber was Sir William Tolber (1810-1892), a prominent politician and Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire in the late 19th century. He played a significant role in the debates surrounding the Reform Act of 1867 and was a vocal advocate for agricultural reform.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tolber
Among Census respondents with the surname Tolber, the largest self-reported group is Black at 64.8%. The next largest groups are White (15.7%) and Hispanic (10.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Tolber 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 Tolber surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American64.8% · 70
- White15.7% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino10.2% · 11
- Two or more races7.4% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tolber
Tolber appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
+5 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,299 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.9%) | Up 6,299 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 Tolber 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 | #157,234 | #150,935 | 4.0% |
| Count | 103 | 108 | 4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tolber bearers went from 103 to 108 (+4.9% change). The surname moved up 6,299 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #150,935.
FAQ
Tolber surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tolber?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Tolber. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Tolber?
Tolber ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Tolber. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Tolber.
Has Tolber become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tolber went from 103 recorded bearers to 108. That is an increase of 5 (+4.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Tolber?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tolber, the largest self-reported group is Black at 64.8%. The next largest groups are White (15.7%) and Hispanic (10.2%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Tolber in the 2020 Census, accounting for 64.8% (70 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tolber appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (64.8%), White (15.7%), Hispanic (10.2%). 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 Tolber (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 Tolber mean?
Likely an anglicized variant of a German occupational surname for a toll collector. 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 Tolber (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Tolber?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.