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

Tooley, 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 Tooley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tooley in America

Tooley is the 7605th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tooley surname appeared 4,371 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Tooley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tooley 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 Tooley

The surname Tooley is of English origin and dates back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "toll", which referred to a payment or tax. The name likely originated in areas where toll roads or bridges were located, such as in the counties of Kent and Surrey.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tooley can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1190, which mentions a Richard de Tolly. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to individuals with the surname Tooley, including a John de Tolli and a Walter Tolli.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various records, including the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield from 1315, which listed a Thomas de Tolly. The Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379 also mentioned a John Tolly.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Tooley was particularly prevalent in the county of Kent. One notable individual was Robert Tooley (1582-1667), a prominent merchant and politician from Canterbury who served as the city's mayor in 1628.

Another noteworthy figure was Sir Thomas Tooley (1608-1675), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Canterbury in the 1660s. He was also a prominent supporter of the Royalist cause during the English Civil War.

In the 18th century, the name was associated with various locations, such as Tooley Street in Southwark, London, which was named after a family of builders and craftsmen who lived in the area. John Tooley (1732-1803) was a renowned English clockmaker from Southwark who gained recognition for his exceptional timepieces.

The 19th century saw the emergence of several notable individuals with the surname Tooley, including Sarah Tooley (1805-1875), an English author and poet known for her works on domestic life and moral instruction.

Another remarkable figure was William Tooley (1823-1891), a renowned English geographer and cartographer who published numerous atlases and maps, including the highly acclaimed "Tooley's County Atlases of the British Isles".

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tooley

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

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

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

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