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

Toomey, 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 Toomey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Toomey in America

Toomey is the 4722nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Toomey surname appeared 7,510 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Toomey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Toomey 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 Toomey

The surname Toomey is of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic surname Ó Tomaidh, which means "descendant of Tomaidh," a personal name derived from the Old Norse word "tómi," meaning "empty" or "vacant." The name is believed to have originated in County Sligo, Ireland, during the 11th or 12th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Toomey can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history compiled in the early 17th century. It mentions a Toomey family from County Sligo who played a significant role in local affairs during the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the Toomey family was well-established in County Sligo, particularly around the town of Ballymote. The surname appears in various historical records from that period, such as the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns and the Annals of Loch Cé.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Toomey name spread throughout Ireland, with families settling in counties like Mayo, Galway, and Dublin. One notable figure from this era was Patrick Toomey (1680-1760), a Catholic priest and author from County Mayo who wrote extensively on Irish history and language.

In the 19th century, the Toomey name began to appear more frequently in other parts of the world due to Irish emigration. John Toomey (1809-1892), a prominent Australian pastoralist and politician, was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, before emigrating to Australia in 1832.

Another notable figure with the Toomey surname was Thomas Toomey (1825-1904), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Massachusetts State Senate in the late 19th century.

Other historical figures with the Toomey surname include:

1. Denis Toomey (1766-1837), an Irish politician and judge.
2. Michael Toomey (1827-1902), an Irish-American Catholic priest and educator.
3. Patrick Toomey (1854-1901), an Irish-American labor leader and politician.
4. John Toomey (1863-1936), an Irish-American politician and judge.
5. Maurice Toomey (1894-1969), an American actor and film director.

The surname Toomey has a rich history rooted in Ireland, with its origins tracing back to the medieval period. Over the centuries, it has spread throughout the world, and individuals with this surname have made significant contributions in various fields, including politics, law, religion, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Toomey

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

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

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

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