2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Tolnai
A locational surname referring to someone from Tolna, Hungary.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Tolnai. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tolnai 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Tolnai in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tolnai, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tolnai
The surname TOLNAI originated in Hungary, with its earliest known usage dating back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the Hungarian place name Tolna, a county in central Hungary. The suffix "-i" denotes that the bearer of the surname hailed from the region of Tolna.
TOLNAI is believed to have its roots in the Slavic word "tlo," which means "ground" or "soil." This linguistic connection suggests that the name may have initially referred to individuals who were associated with the land or agriculture in the Tolna region.
Historical records from the Tolna area, including church registers and land deeds, contain numerous mentions of individuals bearing the TOLNAI surname from the 16th century onward. One of the earliest documented instances is that of János TOLNAI, a landowner born in 1554 in the village of Szekszárd, within the Tolna county.
The TOLNAI surname has been carried by several notable figures throughout history. Miklós TOLNAI (1620-1690) was a prominent Hungarian Calvinist pastor and theologian who served as the rector of the Reformed College in Sárospatak. Another bearer of the name, István TOLNAI (1670-1746), was a respected physician and author who wrote extensively on medical topics.
In the literary realm, Lajos TOLNAI (1837-1920) was a Hungarian poet and translator who played a significant role in the Romantic movement of the 19th century. His works, including translations of Shakespeare's plays, were highly acclaimed during his lifetime.
The name TOLNAI also has connections to the field of education. Vilmos TOLNAI (1870-1937) was a renowned linguist and academic who served as the rector of the University of Budapest and made significant contributions to the study of Hungarian language and literature.
Another notable figure was László TOLNAI (1905-1983), a Hungarian-born American photographer and filmmaker. He gained recognition for his documentary work, capturing the lives and cultures of various communities across the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tolnai
Among Census respondents with the surname Tolnai, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Tolnai 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 Tolnai surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 109
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tolnai
Tolnai 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,407 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-6 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,918 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 8,407 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 7,918 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 Tolnai 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 | #135,593 | #143,511 | -5.8% |
| Count | 124 | 118 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tolnai bearers went from 124 to 118 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 7,918 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #143,511.
FAQ
Tolnai surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tolnai?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Tolnai. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Tolnai?
Tolnai ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Tolnai. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Tolnai.
Has Tolnai become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tolnai went from 124 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 6 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Tolnai?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tolnai, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Tolnai in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tolnai appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Tolnai (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 Tolnai mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from Tolna, Hungary. 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 Tolnai (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 many people have the last name Tolnai?
If you just want to know how many people are called Tolnai, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.