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

Toler, 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 Toler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Toler in America

Toler is the 3757th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Toler surname appeared 9,427 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Toler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Toler 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 Toler

The surname Toler has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "tol" or "toll," which referred to a tax or payment. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who collected tolls or worked as toll-keepers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Toler can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appeared in various spellings, such as "Toler," "Toller," and "Tollere," indicating its phonetic origins.

The Toler surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire in the southwest of England. Some records suggest that the name may have originated in the village of Tollard Royal in Wiltshire, which derives its name from the Old English words "toll" and "hierde" (keeper).

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Toler was Sir John Toler, a knight who fought alongside King Edward I during the Welsh wars. He was granted lands in Gloucestershire for his service to the crown.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Toler family established a strong presence in Ireland. One of the most notable members was Sir John Toler, 1st Earl of Norbury (1745-1831), who served as Lord Chief Justice of the Irish Court of Common Pleas and later as Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench.

Another prominent individual was Samuel Toler (1780-1858), an Irish judge and politician who served as Solicitor-General for Ireland and later as Master of the Rolls in Ireland.

In the realm of literature, the surname Toler is associated with Pamela Toler (born 1958), an American author and historian known for her works on British history and culture, including "The Baroness: The Search for Nica, the Rebellious Rothschild."

Other notable individuals with the surname Toler include John Toler (1719-1789), an Irish politician and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland, and James Toler (1798-1857), an Irish-born Australian explorer and surveyor who played a significant role in the exploration and settlement of South Australia.

While the surname Toler has been more widely documented in England and Ireland, it has also been found in other parts of the world, likely due to migration and the spread of the English language.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Toler

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

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

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

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