2000
#9,097
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,302
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.22
Rare Last name
Tolle
Derived from the Middle High German word "tol," meaning "great" or "outstanding," likely referring to a distinguished ancestor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,564 Americans carry the last name Tolle. That puts it at #9,915 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 96,171 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tolle 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
3.6K
1 in 96,171
Census rank
#9,915
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,108 bearers of the surname Tolle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9915th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tolle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tolle
The surname Tolle originated in Germany and dates back to the medieval era. It derives from the Middle High German word "tolle," meaning "mad" or "foolish." This name may have been initially used as a nickname for someone perceived as eccentric or foolish in behavior.
During the Middle Ages, nicknames based on personal characteristics were commonly adopted as surnames. The earliest recorded instances of the Tolle surname can be traced back to German records from the 13th and 14th centuries, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Tolle name was Johann Tolle, a scribe and scholar who lived in Nuremberg, Germany, in the late 15th century (c. 1460-1520). His works included transcriptions of important manuscripts and chronicles from the region.
In the 16th century, the Tolle name appeared in various municipal and church records across German-speaking areas. For instance, Hans Tolle (c. 1520-1585) was a prominent baker and guild member in the city of Augsburg.
As the surname spread, it also took on variations in spelling, such as Tollen, Tollin, and Toller. Some of these variations were influenced by regional dialects or variations in the German language.
In the 17th century, the name Tolle gained prominence through the work of Jürgen Tolle (1619-1675), a German philosopher and theologian. His writings on ethics and morality were widely read and discussed during his time.
Another noteworthy figure was Christoph Tolle (1670-1738), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector of Saxony. His compositions, particularly his organ works, were highly regarded and influential in the Baroque period.
As people with the Tolle surname migrated and settled in different regions, the name also took on new meanings or associations. For example, in some areas, the name was linked to the German word "toll," meaning "great" or "excellent," reflecting a positive connotation rather than the original meaning of "foolish."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tolle
Among Census respondents with the surname Tolle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Tolle 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 Tolle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 2,833
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 118
- Two or more races3.6% · 111
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 17
- Black or African American0.5% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tolle
Tolle 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
#9,155
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,564
+262 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 58 places
2020
#9,915
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,108
-456 bearers (-12.8%)
Per 100,000 1.04
Rank movement Down 760 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,097 | 3,302 | 1.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,155 | 3,564 | 1.21 | +262 bearers (+7.9%) | Down 58 places |
| 2020 | #9,915 | 3,108 | 1.04 | -456 bearers (-12.8%) | Down 760 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 Tolle 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 | #9,155 | #9,915 | -8.3% |
| Count | 3,564 | 3,108 | -12.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.21 | 1.04 | -14.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tolle bearers went from 3,564 to 3,108 (-12.8% change). The surname moved down 760 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,155 to #9,915.
FAQ
Tolle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tolle?
Name Census estimates that about 3,564 living Americans carry the surname Tolle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 96,171 residents.
How common is Tolle?
Tolle ranks #9,915 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,108 people with the surname Tolle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,564), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Tolle.
Has Tolle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tolle went from 3,564 recorded bearers to 3,108. That is a decrease of 456 (-12.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,155 to #9,915.
What does the Census say about the background of Tolle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tolle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Tolle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (2,833 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tolle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Tolle (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 Tolle mean?
Derived from the Middle High German word "tol," meaning "great" or "outstanding," likely referring to a distinguished ancestor. 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 Tolle (1.04 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 people have the surname Tolle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.