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

Tovey, 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 Tovey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tovey in America

Tovey is the 27707th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tovey surname appeared 868 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 Tovey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tovey 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 Tovey

The surname Tovey is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "toft," which referred to a homestead or a piece of land. The name likely originated during the medieval period in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Warwickshire, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tovey can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Warwickshire, dated around 1275, where it appears as "Toftey." This variation in spelling was common during that time, as standardized spelling conventions had not yet been established.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several references to places with names derived from the word "toft," such as Toftrees and Toftinghall. These place names may have influenced the development of the surname Tovey in their respective regions.

One notable figure with the surname Tovey was Sir Thomas Tovey (1418-1482), who served as a Member of Parliament for Coventry during the reign of King Edward IV. Another prominent individual was John Tovey (1638-1718), a renowned English organist and composer who served as the organist at Westminster Abbey.

In the 17th century, the Tovey family had a strong presence in the county of Worcestershire. One member, William Tovey (1672-1745), was a prosperous landowner and served as the High Sheriff of Worcestershire in 1718.

Jumping forward a few centuries, we encounter Sir John Tovey (1885-1971), a distinguished British naval officer who played a crucial role in the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II. He served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet and was later appointed as the First Sea Lord, the professional head of the Royal Navy.

Another notable figure with the Tovey surname is Donald Francis Tovey (1875-1940), a renowned British music scholar, writer, and composer. He is best known for his monumental work, "A Companion to Beethoven's Pianoforte Sonatas," which remains a highly respected reference in the field of music analysis.

While the surname Tovey is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and includes individuals who made significant contributions in various fields, including politics, music, and military service.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tovey

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

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

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

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