2000
#16,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,566
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.58
Rare Last name
Toone
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "town" or "settlement" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,079 Americans carry the last name Toone. That puts it at #15,535 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 164,865 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Toone 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 Toone with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 164,865
Census rank
#15,535
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,813 bearers of the surname Toone in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15535th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Toone, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Toone
The surname Toone is believed to have originated in England, with its roots traceable back to the 13th century. It is thought to be a locational name derived from the Old English word "tun," which refers to a farmstead or enclosed area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "de Tun." This reference suggests that the name may have originated as a descriptor for someone who lived near or in a particular tun or settlement.
During the Middle Ages, the name underwent various spelling variations, such as Toun, Tune, and Toon, reflecting the lack of standardized spelling conventions at the time. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of individual scribes.
In the 16th century, records show the name Toone appearing in the Yorkshire area, particularly in the parish of Kirby Malzeard. Notable individuals from this period include John Toone, who was born in 1542 and served as a church warden in the village of Laverton.
As the centuries progressed, the Toone family spread across different regions of England, with some members migrating to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to North America. One notable bearer of the name was Thomas Toone, born in 1620 in Gloucestershire, who later settled in Virginia in the mid-17th century.
In the 18th century, the name Toone can be found in various historical records, such as parish registers and tax rolls. One notable figure from this time was William Toone, a renowned engraver and publisher born in 1772 in London, known for his intricate engravings and publications on art and architecture.
During the 19th century, the Toone family continued to thrive, with members pursuing various professions and making notable contributions. One such individual was John Toone, a British playwright and actor born in 1810, whose works included the popular comedy "The Honey Moon."
In the realm of academia, Charles Toone, born in 1845 in Suffolk, became a respected scholar and author, publishing works on English literature and language education.
Throughout its history, the surname Toone has been associated with diverse occupations and achievements, reflecting the varied paths taken by its bearers across different eras and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Toone
Among Census respondents with the surname Toone, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Toone 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 Toone surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.0% · 1,505
- Black or African American8.9% · 162
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 73
- Two or more races2.8% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Toone
Toone 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
#14,957
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,977
+411 bearers (+26.2%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Up 1,826 places
2020
#15,535
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,813
-164 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 578 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,783 | 1,566 | 0.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,957 | 1,977 | 0.67 | +411 bearers (+26.2%) | Up 1,826 places |
| 2020 | #15,535 | 1,813 | 0.61 | -164 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 578 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 Toone 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 | #14,957 | #15,535 | -3.9% |
| Count | 1,977 | 1,813 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.61 | -9.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Toone bearers went from 1,977 to 1,813 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 578 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,957 to #15,535.
FAQ
Toone surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Toone?
Name Census estimates that about 2,079 living Americans carry the surname Toone. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 164,865 residents.
How common is Toone?
Toone ranks #15,535 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 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 1,813 people with the surname Toone. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,079), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 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 Toone.
Has Toone become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Toone went from 1,977 recorded bearers to 1,813. That is a decrease of 164 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,957 to #15,535.
What does the Census say about the background of Toone?
Among Census respondents with the surname Toone, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.0%. The next largest groups are Black (8.9%) and Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Toone in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.0% (1,505 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Toone appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.0%), Black (8.9%), Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Toone (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 Toone mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "town" or "settlement" in Old English. 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 Toone (0.61 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 common is the surname Toone?
You can see how common the surname Toone is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.