2000
#6,556
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,766
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.77
Rare Last name
Toner
An Irish occupational surname referring to a chief or leader, derived from the Gaelic word "tonnóir" meaning "commander."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,094 Americans carry the last name Toner. That puts it at #7,244 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Toner 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 Toner with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.1K
1 in 67,286
Census rank
#7,244
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,442 bearers of the surname Toner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7244th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Toner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Toner
The surname Toner is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic words "tóin" meaning "backside" or "bottom", and "óir" meaning "gold". It is believed to have initially been a descriptive nickname for a person with a fondness for gold or wealth, or perhaps a jocular reference to an individual's physical attributes.
The earliest recorded instance of the Toner surname dates back to the 14th century in County Tyrone, Ireland. It is found in the Annals of Ulster, a historical chronicle compiled by Seán Ó Dubhagáin and other scribes at the monastery of Belleek, which mentions a "Tomaltach Ua Tóinóir" in the year 1348.
In the 16th century, the surname Toner is documented in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official records from the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. These records include references to individuals such as Dermot Toner, who was granted lands in County Monaghan in 1562.
The Toner surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Toneymore and Toneyreagh in County Antrim, and Tonermullin in County Tyrone. These locations likely derived their names from individuals or families bearing the Toner surname.
Notable individuals with the surname Toner include:
1. John Toner (c. 1670-1705), an Irish Catholic priest and missionary in Pennsylvania, regarded as one of the first Catholic clergymen to minister in the American colonies.
2. Joseph Meredith Toner (1825-1902), an American physician and bibliographer from Washington, D.C., known for his extensive collection of books and manuscripts related to the history of medicine and the American Civil War.
3. Robin Toner (1956-2008), an American journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the New York Times, who covered national politics and presidential campaigns.
4. Patrick Toner (1832-1906), an Irish immigrant to the United States who became a prominent businessman and philanthropist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
5. Bridget Toner (1800-1868), an Irish immigrant to Australia who became a successful businesswoman and property owner in Sydney, despite facing discrimination as a woman and a Catholic in colonial society.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Toner
Among Census respondents with the surname Toner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Toner 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 Toner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 4,071
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 171
- Two or more races2.5% · 111
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 49
- Black or African American0.6% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Toner
Toner 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
#6,672
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,065
+299 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 1.72
Rank movement Down 116 places
2020
#7,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,442
-623 bearers (-12.3%)
Per 100,000 1.49
Rank movement Down 572 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,556 | 4,766 | 1.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,672 | 5,065 | 1.72 | +299 bearers (+6.3%) | Down 116 places |
| 2020 | #7,244 | 4,442 | 1.49 | -623 bearers (-12.3%) | Down 572 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 Toner 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 | #6,672 | #7,244 | -8.6% |
| Count | 5,065 | 4,442 | -12.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.72 | 1.49 | -13.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Toner bearers went from 5,065 to 4,442 (-12.3% change). The surname moved down 572 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,672 to #7,244.
FAQ
Toner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Toner?
Name Census estimates that about 5,094 living Americans carry the surname Toner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,286 residents.
How common is Toner?
Toner ranks #7,244 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.49 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 4,442 people with the surname Toner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,094), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.49 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 Toner.
Has Toner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Toner went from 5,065 recorded bearers to 4,442. That is a decrease of 623 (-12.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,672 to #7,244.
What does the Census say about the background of Toner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Toner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (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 Toner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (4,071 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Toner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (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 Toner (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 Toner mean?
An Irish occupational surname referring to a chief or leader, derived from the Gaelic word "tonnóir" meaning "commander." 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 Toner (1.49 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 share the surname Toner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.