2000
#116,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Tollas
An archaic occupational surname referring to a tax collector or toll gatherer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Tollas. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tollas 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Tollas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tollas, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tollas
The surname Tollas is believed to have originated in the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the regions of Spain and Portugal. It likely emerged during the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.
One theory suggests that Tollas is derived from the Spanish word "tolla," which refers to a puddle or small body of stagnant water. This could indicate that the name was initially given to someone who lived near or worked with such a feature.
Another possible origin is that Tollas is a variation of the Spanish surname Toledano, which is associated with the city of Toledo in central Spain. This could mean that the name was initially borne by individuals who hailed from or had connections to that particular area.
Early records mentioning the surname Tollas are scarce, but it has been documented in various historical documents from the Iberian Peninsula over the centuries. One notable example is the appearance of the name in the "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a 14th-century manuscript commissioned by King Alfonso XI of Castile, which lists individuals involved in hunting activities.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Tollas was Juan Tollas, who lived in the city of Seville, Spain, during the late 15th century. He was a merchant and landowner whose name appears in various municipal records from that time.
Another notable figure was Pedro Tollas, a Spanish soldier who fought in the Italian Wars during the early 16th century. He is mentioned in several contemporary accounts of military campaigns against the French and Venetians.
In the 17th century, there was a priest named Francisco Tollas who served in the Diocese of Córdoba, Spain. He is remembered for his contributions to the local church and community.
During the 18th century, a prominent individual named Manuel Tollas was a successful merchant and landowner in the city of Cádiz, Spain. He was involved in the lucrative trade between Spain and its colonies in the Americas.
In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the surname was Mariano Tollas, a Spanish artist and painter who was active in Madrid during the Romantic period. His works can be found in several art museums and collections in Spain.
While the surname Tollas has its roots in the Iberian Peninsula, over time, it has spread to other parts of the world, likely through migration and settlement patterns. However, its earliest origins and historical significance can be traced back to the regions of Spain and Portugal during the medieval and early modern periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tollas
Among Census respondents with the surname Tollas, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Tollas 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 Tollas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 5
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tollas
Tollas 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-26 bearers (-18.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 30,418 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 758 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,835 | 138 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -26 bearers (-18.8%) | Down 30,418 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 758 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 Tollas 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 | #147,253 | #146,495 | 0.5% |
| Count | 112 | 114 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tollas bearers went from 112 to 114 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 758 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #146,495.
FAQ
Tollas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tollas?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Tollas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Tollas?
Tollas ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Tollas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Tollas.
Has Tollas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tollas went from 112 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Tollas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tollas, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Tollas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tollas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (4.4%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Tollas (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 Tollas mean?
An archaic occupational surname referring to a tax collector or toll gatherer. 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 Tollas (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 common is the surname Tollas?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Tollas on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.