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

Toves, 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 Toves surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Toves in America

Toves is the 41164th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Toves surname appeared 529 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Toves.

We can also compare 2010 data for Toves 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 Toves

The surname TOVES is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the county of Yorkshire, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "toft," which referred to a homestead or a piece of land adjacent to a village or hamlet. The name likely evolved from a place name, potentially a lost village or hamlet, where the earliest bearers of the name lived or owned land.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name TOVES can be found in the Yorkshire Feet of Fines, a legal document dating back to the 13th century. This record suggests that the name was already in use during that time period in the Yorkshire region.

In the 14th century, a reference to a person named John Toves appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire, which were records of taxes levied on the population. This provides further evidence of the name's presence in the area during the medieval era.

During the 16th century, the TOVES surname can be found in various parish records and manorial documents in Yorkshire, indicating the continued use and spread of the name within the region.

One notable bearer of the TOVES surname was William Toves, who was born in 1586 in the village of Knaresborough, Yorkshire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a magistrate in the local community.

In the 17th century, a record from the Hearth Tax Rolls of 1664 mentions a Thomas Toves, a farmer residing in the village of Ripley, Yorkshire.

Another significant figure was John Toves, born in 1712 in the town of Beverley, Yorkshire. He was a renowned scholar and theologian who authored several influential works on religious doctrine.

During the 18th century, the TOVES surname began to spread beyond Yorkshire, with records indicating bearers of the name in other parts of England, such as Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.

One noteworthy individual from this period was Elizabeth Toves, born in 1768 in the city of Lincoln. She was a renowned philanthropist and advocate for women's education, establishing several schools in the region.

As the Industrial Revolution took hold in the 19th century, many individuals with the TOVES surname migrated from rural areas to cities in search of employment opportunities. This contributed to the further dispersal of the name across England and beyond.

While the TOVES surname is relatively uncommon today, it remains a testament to the rich history and heritage of medieval England, particularly the county of Yorkshire, where it first took root and flourished.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Toves

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

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

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

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