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Tolkien Family History

Tolkien Surname Meaning

From an anglicization of the German surname Tollkiehn, derived from a non-standard form of German tollkühn meaning ‘foolhardy’. According to Mechow (1994), this surname originates from the village of Tolkynen near Rastenburg in East Prussia, which is now located in north-eastern Poland.

The fully German (non-polonicized) name of this place is Tolksdorf.

Source: The Oxford Dictionary of Family Names in Britain and Ireland, 2016


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Where is the Tolkien family from?

You can see how Tolkien families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Tolkien family name was found in the USA, and the UK between 1891 and 1920. The most Tolkien families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1891 there were 12 Tolkien families living in London. This was about 57% of all the recorded Tolkien's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Tolkien families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Tolkien surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Tolkien ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Tolkien. 67% of Tolkien women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Tolkien | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

England shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    67%
  • Private Means
    34%

What Tolkien family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 755 census records available for the last name Tolkien. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Tolkien census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Tolkien

Passenger Lists

There are 67 immigration records available for the last name Tolkien. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Tolkien immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 49 military records available for the last name Tolkien. For the veterans among your Tolkien ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Tolkien military records

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What is the average Tolkien lifespan?

Between 1962 and 2002, in the United States, Tolkien life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1962, and highest in 1972. The average life expectancy for Tolkien in 1962 was 51, and 80 in 2002.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Tolkien

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Tolkien ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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