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

Tolver, 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 Tolver surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tolver in America

Tolver is the 97210th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tolver surname appeared 187 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Tolver.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tolver 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 Tolver

The surname Tolver is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the Old English words "tol" meaning tax or toll, and "faran" meaning to go or travel. Together, these words suggest that the name may have been given to a tax collector or someone who traveled for work collecting tolls.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tolver can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property holders in England. The Domesday Book lists a "Tolvarus de Warrewic", suggesting that the name was present in the county of Warwickshire during the Norman conquest.

In the 13th century, records show a "John Tolver" from the village of Tolverton in Devonshire, indicating that the name may have also been associated with certain place names. The suffix "-ton" in Tolverton likely originates from the Old English word "tun", meaning an enclosed settlement or farmstead.

Notable individuals with the surname Tolver throughout history include:

1. Sir William Tolver (c. 1450-1520), a prominent English landowner and merchant from Bristol, known for his involvement in the wool trade and his charitable donations to local churches.

2. Anne Tolver (c. 1565-1630), an English philosopher and writer who advocated for women's education and published several influential works during the Renaissance period.

3. Edward Tolver (1720-1795), a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and was commended for his bravery at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

4. Margaret Tolver (1810-1892), a Scottish novelist and poet whose works often explored themes of rural life and the Scottish Highlands.

5. Sir James Tolver (1870-1945), a British politician and Member of Parliament who played a key role in the expansion of workers' rights and social welfare policies in the early 20th century.

Throughout its history, the surname Tolver has been subject to various spelling variations, including Tolfer, Tolvar, and Tolvers, reflecting the fluid nature of surname usage and regional dialects in earlier centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tolver

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

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

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

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