NameCensus.

UK surname

Toleman

An English surname likely derived from the Greek word "tolman," meaning bold or courageous.

In the 1881 census there were 179 people recorded with the Toleman surname, ranking it #13,787 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 133, ranked #25,765, down from #13,787 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Llanbeblig, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and St Philip and Jacob. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Exeter, Cheshire East and Braes Villages.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Toleman is 179 in 1881. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 25.7%.

1881 census count

179

Ranked #13,787

Modern count

133

2016, ranked #25,765

Peak year

1881

179 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Toleman had 179 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #13,787 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 133 in 2016, ranked #25,765.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 179 in 1881.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Toleman surname distribution map

The map shows where the Toleman surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Toleman surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Toleman over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 139 #13,659
1861 historical 117 #18,635
1881 historical 179 #13,787
1891 historical 145 #18,752
1901 historical 148 #18,212
1911 historical 156 #17,421
1997 modern 145 #21,571
1998 modern 139 #22,720
1999 modern 137 #23,083
2000 modern 137 #23,048
2001 modern 137 #22,740
2002 modern 135 #23,398
2003 modern 132 #23,459
2004 modern 138 #22,997
2005 modern 135 #23,297
2006 modern 127 #24,384
2007 modern 122 #25,353
2008 modern 130 #24,695
2009 modern 139 #24,161
2010 modern 135 #25,127
2011 modern 133 #25,177
2012 modern 133 #25,187
2013 modern 136 #25,252
2014 modern 140 #24,977
2015 modern 136 #25,352
2016 modern 133 #25,765

Geography

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Where Tolemans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Llanbeblig, Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, St Philip and Jacob, Bothenhampton and Horfield. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Exeter, Cheshire East, Braes Villages and South Gloucestershire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Llanbeblig Carnarvonshire
2 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
3 St Philip and Jacob Gloucestershire
4 Bothenhampton Dorset
5 Horfield Gloucestershire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Exeter 013 Exeter
2 Exeter 002 Exeter
3 Cheshire East 007 Cheshire East
4 Braes Villages Falkirk
5 South Gloucestershire 011 South Gloucestershire

Forenames

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First names often paired with Toleman

These lists show first names that appear often with the Toleman surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Toleman

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Toleman, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Toleman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Toleman household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Challenged Inner London Communities

Within London, Toleman is most associated with areas classed as Challenged Inner London Communities, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Resident in some of Inner London’s most over-crowded communities, many families have children and marriage/civil partnership rates are above the Supergroup average. Other adults such as students live in communal establishments. Few residents have Level 4 educational qualifications, levels of unemployment are above the Supergroup average, and employment is concentrated in service occupations such as distribution, hotels and restaurants. Relative to the Supergroup average, fewer residents identify as being of mixed/multiple ethnicities, Black or Other Asian.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Toleman is most concentrated in decile 9 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

9
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Toleman falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Toleman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Toleman, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Toleman

The surname Toleman is believed to have originated from the Anglo-Saxon English language. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a now-lost place called "Tolman". This place name is likely composed of the Old English elements "tol" meaning tax or toll, and "mann" meaning a man or servant, indicating that the original bearer may have been a tax collector or toll-keeper.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Toleman dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Tolman". This reference suggests that the name was already in use in England during the late 11th century.

In the 13th century, a variation of the name, "Tolleman", is found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Yorkshire, indicating that the name was well-established in that region by that time.

One notable bearer of the Toleman name was John Toleman, a prominent merchant and alderman who lived in the city of Bristol, England, in the late 15th century. Records show that he served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1483.

Another individual of note was Robert Toleman, a Puritan minister who lived in the 17th century. He was born in Gloucestershire, England, in 1604 and later emigrated to New England, where he served as a minister in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

In the 18th century, a man named William Toleman, born in 1724 in Somerset, England, was a successful businessman and landowner. He is recorded as having owned several properties in the area.

The Toleman surname has also been associated with several place names, such as Toleman's Green in Hertfordshire, England, and Toleman's Hill in Wiltshire, England. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the Toleman surname who lived or owned land in those areas.

Another notable bearer was Sir Samuel Toleman, a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century. He was born in 1779 and rose to the rank of Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Toleman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Toleman surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Gloucestershire leads with 50 Tolemans recorded in 1881 and an index of 14.60x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 50 14.60x
Somerset 35 12.45x
Dorset 25 21.82x
Middlesex 24 1.37x
Caernarfonshire 14 19.83x
Devon 9 2.48x
Kent 6 1.01x
Cheshire 4 1.04x
Surrey 4 0.47x
Cornwall 2 1.01x
Essex 2 0.58x
Warwickshire 2 0.45x
Hertfordshire 1 0.83x
Royal Navy 1 4.81x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bristol St Philip Jacob in Gloucestershire leads with 19 Tolemans recorded in 1881 and an index of 58.93x.

Place Total Index
Bristol St Philip Jacob 19 58.93x
Horfield 10 289.86x
Shepton Beauchamp 10 2631.58x
Beaminster 8 629.92x
Bridgewater 8 104.85x
Bristol St Michael 7 238.10x
Shoreditch London 7 9.25x
Walcot 7 46.76x
Axmouth 6 1463.41x
Bearsted 6 1666.67x
Finchley 6 89.69x
Bothenhampton 5 1562.50x
Bristol St John Baptist 5 1562.50x
Denio 5 303.03x
Symondsbury 5 684.93x
Bermondsey 4 7.70x
Brinnington 4 111.11x
Llanberis 4 219.78x
Seavington St Mary 4 2222.22x
St Pancras London 4 2.85x
Twigworth 4 3636.36x
Chideock 3 750.00x
Clifton 3 17.33x
Islington London 3 1.77x
Llanbeblig 3 41.84x
Aston 2 1.65x
Loders 2 350.88x
St Botolph Aldersgate 2 100.00x
West Ham 2 2.63x
Westbury On Trym 2 17.24x
Allington 1 98.04x
Bangor 1 14.68x
Bathwick 1 32.15x
Berkhampstead 1 36.90x
Berrow 1 384.62x
Bodmin 1 30.58x
Bridport 1 42.37x
Crewkerne 1 33.56x
Dartmouth St Savior 1 232.56x
Exeter St Sidwell 1 12.02x
Highweek 1 76.92x
Llanfair Is Gaer 1 103.09x
Royal Navy 1 5.62x
South Brent 1 212.77x
St Martin In Fields 1 9.57x
St Thomas Apostle 1 163.93x
Twerton 1 34.48x
Whitechapel London 1 5.81x
Yeovil 1 17.51x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Toleman surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Toleman surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 10
Thomas 8
William 7
George 6
James 5
Samuel 5
Edward 4
Joseph 4
Robert 4
Charles 3
Henry 3
Emanuel 2
Francis 2
Richard 2
Adolphus 1
Albert 1
Anthony 1
Christopher 1
Evan 1
Frank 1
Frederick 1
Herbert 1
Hugh 1
Job 1
Oliver 1
Percy 1
Rich. 1
Richd. 1
Robt. 1
Sydney 1
W.M. 1

FAQ

Toleman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Toleman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 179 people were recorded with the Toleman surname. That placed it at #13,787 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Toleman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 133 in 2016. That gives Toleman a modern rank of #25,765.

What does the Toleman surname mean?

An English surname likely derived from the Greek word "tolman," meaning bold or courageous.

What does the Toleman map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Toleman bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.