2000
#13,440
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,077
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Toothman
An occupational surname for a dentist or a person who extracted teeth in the Middle Ages.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,135 Americans carry the last name Toothman. That puts it at #15,193 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 160,541 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Toothman 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.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 160,541
Census rank
#15,193
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,862 bearers of the surname Toothman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15193rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Toothman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Toothman
The surname Toothman is of English origin, emerging in the late medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to be an occupational surname, derived from the Old English words "toth" meaning tooth, and "mann" meaning man. The name likely referred to a person who worked as a dentist or tooth-puller, a profession that was in demand during a time when dental hygiene was poor and tooth decay was prevalent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, England, from the year 1327, which mentions a Thomas Tothman. This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time. Additionally, the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1279 include a reference to a William Tothman, suggesting the name's presence in various regions of England during the Middle Ages.
The Toothman surname also appears in historical records from Somerset, England, where a family bearing this name resided in the village of Chilton Polden. In the 16th century, a notable figure named John Toothman (1548-1624) lived in this area and served as a church warden in the nearby parish of Bridgwater.
Moving forward in time, the Toothman name gained prominence in the American colonies, with one of the earliest documented instances being that of Henry Toothman, who was born around 1650 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He was a landowner and played a role in the early settlement of the region.
Another notable figure was John Toothman (1774-1848), a farmer and Revolutionary War veteran from Pennsylvania. He fought in several battles, including the Battle of Brandywine, and later settled in Ohio, where he became a respected member of his community.
In the 19th century, the Toothman family had a strong presence in West Virginia, where they were among the early pioneers and settlers of the region. One prominent member was Jacob Toothman (1807-1879), a farmer and influential citizen who served as a justice of the peace and was involved in local politics.
Throughout history, the Toothman surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, from farmers and landowners to tradesmen and public servants. While the name originated as a reference to a specific occupation, it has since evolved to represent a diverse lineage of individuals who have contributed to the rich tapestry of their respective communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Toothman
Among Census respondents with the surname Toothman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Toothman 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 Toothman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 1,706
- Two or more races3.5% · 65
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 61
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 7
- Black or African American0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Toothman
Toothman 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
#14,223
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,109
+32 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 783 places
2020
#15,193
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,862
-247 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 970 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,440 | 2,077 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,223 | 2,109 | 0.71 | +32 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 783 places |
| 2020 | #15,193 | 1,862 | 0.62 | -247 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 970 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 Toothman 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 | #14,223 | #15,193 | -6.8% |
| Count | 2,109 | 1,862 | -11.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.62 | -12.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Toothman bearers went from 2,109 to 1,862 (-11.7% change). The surname moved down 970 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,223 to #15,193.
FAQ
Toothman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Toothman?
Name Census estimates that about 2,135 living Americans carry the surname Toothman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 160,541 residents.
How common is Toothman?
Toothman ranks #15,193 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 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 1,862 people with the surname Toothman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 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 Toothman.
Has Toothman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Toothman went from 2,109 recorded bearers to 1,862. That is a decrease of 247 (-11.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,223 to #15,193.
What does the Census say about the background of Toothman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Toothman, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Toothman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (1,706 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Toothman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Toothman (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 Toothman mean?
An occupational surname for a dentist or a person who extracted teeth in the Middle Ages. 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 Toothman (0.62 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 Toothman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.