Tolden last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Tolden

A locational surname derived from a place name, potentially indicating origins in a town or village.

Tolden, 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 Tolden surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tolden in America

Tolden is the 91625th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tolden surname appeared 201 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 Tolden.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tolden 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 91625 98770 -7.51%
Count 201 170 16.71%
Proportion per 100k 0.07 0.06 15.38%

The history of the last name Tolden

The surname Tolden is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, although its exact roots are uncertain. One theory suggests that it may derive from the Old English words "tol" and "denu," meaning "tax" and "valley," respectively. This could indicate that the name initially referred to someone who lived in a tax-paying valley or settlement.

Another possible origin is that Tolden is a locational surname, referring to a specific place. Records from the 13th century mention villages called "Tolden" or "Toldene" in Kent and Wiltshire. It's plausible that early bearers of the surname may have hailed from one of these locations or nearby areas.

The earliest known recorded instance of the Tolden surname dates back to the 13th century in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire, which listed a Walter de Toldene in 1273. This suggests that the name had already been established by that time.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the Tolden surname. One such figure was John Tolden (1645-1718), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Bedford from 1696 until his death. Another was Thomas Tolden (1628-1692), a prominent English lawyer and member of the Inner Temple in London.

In the realm of literature, Thomas Tolden (1755-1829) was a British poet and playwright known for his works such as "The Lash of Satire" and "The Dramatic Prize Poem." Additionally, William Tolden (1781-1859) was a respected English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including parts of the Royal Mint.

Another individual of note was Richard Tolden (1823-1896), a British naturalist and explorer who traveled extensively in Africa and South America, making significant contributions to the study of natural history and collecting numerous specimens for museums.

While the Tolden surname is not among the most common, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, from clergymen and lawyers to writers and explorers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tolden

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

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 Tolden was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 3.98% 8
Non-Hispanic Black Only 89.55% 180
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 3.98% 8

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 Tolden has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 3.98% 2.94% 30.06%
Black 89.55% 90.00% -0.50%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% 4.12% (S)%
Hispanic 3.98% 2.94% 30.06%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Tolden last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/tolden-surname-popularity/.

"Tolden last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/tolden-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Tolden last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/tolden-surname-popularity/.

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