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

Toll, 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 Toll surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Toll in America

Toll is the 13383rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Toll surname appeared 2,276 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Toll.

We can also compare 2010 data for Toll 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 Toll

The surname Toll is of Anglo-Saxon origin, arising in England during the medieval period. It is believed to derive from the Old English word "toll", which referred to a tax or payment made for goods passing through a particular area or territory. This suggests the name may have originally been an occupational surname for a toll collector or someone employed in managing tolls.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Toll can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a certain "Toli" holding lands in Warwickshire. This provides evidence that the name was in use in England by the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, records show various spellings of the name, such as "Tolle", "Tol", and "Tolle". These variations likely reflect regional dialects and the evolution of the English language over time. During this period, the name also appeared in documents related to places like Tollerton in Nottinghamshire and Tollesbury in Essex, indicating a possible connection between the surname and these locations.

Notable individuals with the surname Toll throughout history include Sir John Toll (c.1500-1568), an English merchant and member of the Company of Merchant Adventurers. Another prominent figure was Sir Jacob Toll (1685-1748), a Dutch-born British merchant and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for various constituencies.

In the 18th century, the name gained recognition in the literary world with the birth of John Toll (1711-1792), an English playwright and author best known for his works "The Victim" and "The Placid Man". A century later, John Toll (1829-1893), a British artist and engraver, gained acclaim for his intricate woodcut illustrations and engravings.

In more recent times, the name has been carried by individuals such as Sir Richard Toll (1918-2008), a British diplomat and ambassador to various countries, and Peter Toll (1935-2021), an American football player and coach who won two Super Bowl championships as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Toll

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

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

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

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