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

Tone, 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 Tone surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tone in America

Tone is the 20434th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tone surname appeared 1,300 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 Tone.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tone 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 Tone

The surname Tone has its origins in England, where it first appeared in the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "tun," which referred to a fenced enclosure or settlement. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in or near a particular town or village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tone can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mention a man named Robertus de la Tune. The Pipe Rolls were financial records kept by the English Exchequer, and the inclusion of this name indicates that the Tone surname was already established by this time.

In the 13th century, the name appeared in various spellings, such as Toun, Toune, and Tune, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling that were common during that period. One notable bearer of the name was John de la Tone, who was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.

The Hundred Rolls were a survey of landholdings and property rights in England, and the inclusion of John de la Tone suggests that he was a person of some importance or means.

By the 14th century, the surname Tone had spread across various parts of England, with records showing individuals bearing the name in counties such as Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. One notable example from this period is William Tone, who was born around 1320 in Wiltshire and served as a member of the English Parliament.

In the 15th century, the Tone surname continued to be found in historical records, with mentions of individuals such as John Tone, who was born in Somerset around 1435, and Thomas Tone, who was born in Gloucestershire around 1450.

As the centuries progressed, the Tone surname became more widespread, and several prominent individuals bore this name. One notable example is Theobald Wolfe Tone, an Irish revolutionary and leader of the United Irishmen movement, who was born in 1763 and played a significant role in the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

Another important figure was Samuel Tone, an English clergyman and academic who was born in 1677 and served as the Provost of Trinity College, Dublin, from 1726 until his death in 1737.

Overall, the surname Tone has a rich history that can be traced back to its origins in medieval England, where it likely referred to individuals who lived in or near a particular town or settlement. Over the centuries, the name has been associated with various notable figures and has spread across different regions, reflecting the diverse histories and migrations of those who bear this surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tone

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

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

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

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