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

Tolman, 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 Tolman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tolman in America

Tolman is the 7434th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tolman surname appeared 4,480 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Tolman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tolman 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 Tolman

The surname Tolman is of English origin and derived from the Old English word "tol" meaning "tax" or "toll", combined with the word "man", meaning a person employed to collect taxes or tolls. This name likely originated in the Middle Ages, a period when many surnames emerged to identify people by their occupation or trade.

The earliest recorded instances of the Tolman surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various parts of England, including Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk. The name was often spelled as Toleman, Tolleman, or Tolman in historical records.

One of the earliest known references to the Tolman surname is found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, a survey of landowners in England conducted in 1273. The roll mentions a Robert Toleman from the village of Wickhampton.

In the 14th century, the Tolman surname appeared in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1332, which recorded a John Toleman as a taxpayer. This provides evidence of the name's association with tax collectors or toll operators during that time.

Thomas Tolman (c. 1490-1545) was a notable figure from the 16th century who served as the Sheriff of Hertfordshire and Essex in 1542. He was also a Member of Parliament for Colchester in 1539.

Another prominent individual was John Tolman (1605-1693), an early settler in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He arrived in New England in 1638 and became one of the founders of the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts.

In the 18th century, Richard Tolman (1734-1813) was a British naval officer who participated in the American Revolutionary War and served as the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island from 1805 to 1813.

The Tolman surname also has connections to several place names in England, such as Tolman's Hill in Kent and Tolman's Farm in Buckinghamshire, likely named after individuals or families who resided in those areas.

Throughout history, the Tolman surname has been associated with various professions, including tax collectors, toll operators, farmers, and military personnel, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and occupations of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tolman

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

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

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

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