NameCensus.

UK surname

Toner

An Irish occupational surname referring to a chief or leader, derived from the Gaelic word "tonnóir" meaning "commander."

In the 1881 census there were 372 people recorded with the Toner surname, ranking it #8,399 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 2,238, ranked #2,903, up from #8,399 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Hamilton, Stockport and Toxteth Park. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Liverpool, Manchester and Kirklees.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Toner is 2,238 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 501.6%.

1881 census count

372

Ranked #8,399

Modern count

2,238

2016, ranked #2,903

Peak year

2016

2,238 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Toner had 372 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,399 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 2,238 in 2016, ranked #2,903.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 597 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Established but Challenged.

Toner surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Toner surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Toner 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 169 #11,832
1861 historical 230 #10,611
1881 historical 372 #8,399
1891 historical 386 #9,138
1901 historical 597 #7,100
1911 historical 304 #11,342
1997 modern 1,934 #3,131
1998 modern 1,984 #3,174
1999 modern 2,019 #3,159
2000 modern 1,985 #3,184
2001 modern 1,939 #3,187
2002 modern 2,021 #3,145
2003 modern 1,972 #3,151
2004 modern 1,979 #3,146
2005 modern 1,977 #3,116
2006 modern 1,975 #3,126
2007 modern 2,013 #3,112
2008 modern 2,052 #3,080
2009 modern 2,113 #3,057
2010 modern 2,189 #3,027
2011 modern 2,190 #2,985
2012 modern 2,152 #2,977
2013 modern 2,196 #2,972
2014 modern 2,229 #2,948
2015 modern 2,233 #2,911
2016 modern 2,238 #2,903

Geography

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Where Toners are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Hamilton, Stockport, Toxteth Park, Gateshead and Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Liverpool, Manchester, Kirklees, Shettleston North and Wakefield. 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 Hamilton Lanark
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 Toxteth Park Lancashire
4 Gateshead Durham
5 Dundee, Liff, Benvie and Invergowry Forfar

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Liverpool 014 Liverpool
2 Manchester 050 Manchester
3 Kirklees 052 Kirklees
4 Shettleston North Glasgow City
5 Wakefield 015 Wakefield

Forenames

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First names often paired with Toner

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Toner

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Toner, 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

Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce

Group

Established but Challenged

Nationally, the Toner surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Established but Challenged, within Semi- and Un-Skilled Workforce. This does not mean every Toner household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Many households in these neighbourhoods comprise separated or divorced single parents with dependent children. Residents are typically born in the UK, and these neighbourhoods have relatively few members of ethnic minorities. The prevalence of children, their parents and those at or above normal retirement age, suggests neighbourhood structures may be long-established. Levels of unpaid care are high, and long-term disability is more common than in the Supergroup as a whole. Use of the social rented sector is common, often in terraced houses. Levels of overcrowding are above the Supergroup average. Unemployment is high, while those in work are employed in elementary occupations such as caring, leisure and customer services. Many residents have low level qualifications. Neighbourhood concentrations of this Group are found in the South Wales Valleys, Belfast, Londonderry and the Central Lowlands of Scotland.

Wider pattern

Living in terraced or semi-detached houses, residents of these neighbourhoods typically lack high levels of education and work in elementary or routine service occupations. Unemployment is above average. Residents are predominantly born in the UK, and residents are also predominantly from ethnic minorities. Social (but not private sector) rented sector housing is common. This Supergroup is found throughout the UK’s conurbations and industrial regions but is also an integral part of smaller towns.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Toner is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Toner is most concentrated in decile 10 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Toner falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Toner 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 - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Toner

The surname Toner is of Irish origin, deriving from the Gaelic words "tóin" meaning "backside" or "bottom", and "óir" meaning "gold". It is believed to have initially been a descriptive nickname for a person with a fondness for gold or wealth, or perhaps a jocular reference to an individual's physical attributes.

The earliest recorded instance of the Toner surname dates back to the 14th century in County Tyrone, Ireland. It is found in the Annals of Ulster, a historical chronicle compiled by Seán Ó Dubhagáin and other scribes at the monastery of Belleek, which mentions a "Tomaltach Ua Tóinóir" in the year 1348.

In the 16th century, the surname Toner is documented in the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, a collection of official records from the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. These records include references to individuals such as Dermot Toner, who was granted lands in County Monaghan in 1562.

The Toner surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Toneymore and Toneyreagh in County Antrim, and Tonermullin in County Tyrone. These locations likely derived their names from individuals or families bearing the Toner surname.

Notable individuals with the surname Toner include:

1. John Toner (c. 1670-1705), an Irish Catholic priest and missionary in Pennsylvania, regarded as one of the first Catholic clergymen to minister in the American colonies. 2. Joseph Meredith Toner (1825-1902), an American physician and bibliographer from Washington, D.C., known for his extensive collection of books and manuscripts related to the history of medicine and the American Civil War. 3. Robin Toner (1956-2008), an American journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the New York Times, who covered national politics and presidential campaigns. 4. Patrick Toner (1832-1906), an Irish immigrant to the United States who became a prominent businessman and philanthropist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 5. Bridget Toner (1800-1868), an Irish immigrant to Australia who became a successful businesswoman and property owner in Sydney, despite facing discrimination as a woman and a Catholic in colonial society.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Toner families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Toner 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. Lanarkshire leads with 120 Toners recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.20x.

County Total Index
Lanarkshire 120 10.20x
Lancashire 92 2.13x
Cumberland 31 9.90x
Durham 27 2.49x
Angus 22 6.53x
Ayrshire 16 5.88x
Middlesex 13 0.36x
Cheshire 11 1.37x
Renfrewshire 10 3.55x
Midlothian 8 1.64x
Stirlingshire 7 5.22x
Northumberland 4 0.74x
Sussex 4 0.65x
Dunbartonshire 3 3.07x
Argyllshire 1 0.99x
Channel Islands 1 0.93x
Denbighshire 1 0.73x
Staffordshire 1 0.08x
Yorkshire 1 0.03x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Barony in Lanarkshire leads with 31 Toners recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.41x.

Place Total Index
Barony 31 10.41x
Liverpool 23 8.77x
Glasgow 22 10.53x
Old Monkland 21 44.97x
Everton 13 9.45x
Liff Benvie 13 25.41x
Hamilton 12 36.56x
West Derby 12 9.50x
Beith 8 98.40x
Dundee 8 6.36x
Ebchester 8 476.19x
Seaton 8 219.18x
Whitehaven 8 47.90x
Bothwell 7 21.94x
Dalziel 7 55.29x
Kilsyth 7 81.78x
Kirkdale 7 9.64x
Maybole 7 84.44x
Shotts 7 49.72x
Stockport 7 16.94x
Govan 6 2.06x
Newton 6 18.03x
West Calder 6 62.44x
Westoe 6 9.78x
Workington 6 33.44x
Arlecdon 5 60.02x
Bootle Cum Linacre 5 14.58x
Salford 5 3.94x
Birkenhead 4 6.25x
Charterhouse London 4 232.56x
Clerkenwell London 4 4.66x
Hartlepool 4 26.01x
Hastings St Leonards 4 44.35x
Manchester 4 2.06x
Newcastle On Tyne St John 4 56.18x
Toxteth Park 4 2.74x
Barrow In Furness 3 5.11x
Dalserf 3 25.55x
East Greenock 3 11.27x
Great Bolton 3 5.25x
Millom 3 31.25x
Neilston 3 21.19x
Broughton In Salford 2 5.07x
Cardross 2 17.04x
Escomb 2 40.24x
Fulham London 2 3.79x
Gorbals 2 28.65x
Heworth 2 9.38x
Paddington London 2 1.49x
Port Glasgow 2 14.67x
Wavertree 2 14.47x
Avondale 1 14.53x
Caldewgate 1 5.83x
Campbeltown 1 8.18x
Cannock 1 4.67x
Collierley 1 20.75x
Conside Knitsley 1 11.88x
Dalmellington 1 12.48x
Doncaster 1 3.80x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 1 0.51x
Esh 1 12.69x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 1 2.13x
Little Bolton 1 1.80x
Lochee 1 33.22x
Lochwinnoch 1 23.81x
Maryhill 1 4.34x
Much Woolton 1 17.06x
Paisley High Church 1 4.45x
Row 1 7.91x
South Leith 1 1.82x
St Helier 1 2.85x
Tanfield 1 7.77x
Walton On Hill 1 4.28x
Westminster St John 1 2.26x
Wrexham Regis 1 9.79x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 23
Elizabeth 8
Ann 5
Margaret 5
Catherine 4
Maria 4
Rose 4
Sarah 4
Annie 3
Martha 3
Alice 2
Bridget 2
Emily 2
Hannah 2
Isabella 2
Jane 2
Roseann 2
Susan 2
Ada 1
Agnes 1
Cath 1
E.Ann 1
Eliz. 1
Eliza 1
Elizth 1
Ellen 1
Fanny 1
Hanna 1
Katherine 1
Lucy 1
Rosetta 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 14
James 13
Thomas 10
Hugh 6
Peter 6
William 5
Edward 4
Michael 3
Patrick 3
Wm. 3
Alexander 2
Arthur 2
Barnard 2
Martin 2
Michal 2
Owen 2
Pat 2
Richard 2
Albert 1
Alfred 1
Alisk 1
Bernard 1
Frank 1
Jeffery 1
Jno. 1
Laughlin 1
Mathew 1
Terence 1

FAQ

Toner surname: questions and answers

How common was the Toner surname in 1881?

In 1881, 372 people were recorded with the Toner surname. That placed it at #8,399 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Toner surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 2,238 in 2016. That gives Toner a modern rank of #2,903.

What does the Toner surname mean?

An Irish occupational surname referring to a chief or leader, derived from the Gaelic word "tonnóir" meaning "commander."

What does the Toner map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Toner 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.