2000
#8,051
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,799
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.41
Rare Last name
Tolman
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a toll house or tollgate.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,742 Americans carry the last name Tolman. That puts it at #7,717 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 72,281 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tolman 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Tolman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 72,281
Census rank
#7,717
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,135 bearers of the surname Tolman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7717th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tolman, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tolman
Among Census respondents with the surname Tolman, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Tolman 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 Tolman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 3,723
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 185
- Two or more races3.8% · 156
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 16
- Black or African American0.3% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tolman
Tolman 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
#7,434
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,480
+681 bearers (+17.9%)
Per 100,000 1.52
Rank movement Up 617 places
2020
#7,717
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,135
-345 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Down 283 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,051 | 3,799 | 1.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,434 | 4,480 | 1.52 | +681 bearers (+17.9%) | Up 617 places |
| 2020 | #7,717 | 4,135 | 1.38 | -345 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 283 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 Tolman 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 | #7,434 | #7,717 | -3.8% |
| Count | 4,480 | 4,135 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.52 | 1.38 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tolman bearers went from 4,480 to 4,135 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 283 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,434 to #7,717.
FAQ
Tolman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tolman?
Name Census estimates that about 4,742 living Americans carry the surname Tolman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 72,281 residents.
How common is Tolman?
Tolman ranks #7,717 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.38 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 4,135 people with the surname Tolman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,742), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.38 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 Tolman.
Has Tolman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tolman went from 4,480 recorded bearers to 4,135. That is a decrease of 345 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,434 to #7,717.
What does the Census say about the background of Tolman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tolman, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Tolman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (3,723 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tolman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.0%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (3.8%). 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 Tolman (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 Tolman mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a toll house or tollgate. 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 Tolman (1.38 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 are called Tolman?
You can see how many people have the surname Tolman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.