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Tolsma Family History

Tolsma Surname Meaning

West Frisian and Dutch: patronymic formed with the Frisian suffix -ma ‘(one of the) men of’ from a genitivized form of the personal name Tolle.

Occupational name for a toll collector (see Tol) composed with the same Frisian suffix as in 1 above.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Tolsma family from?

You can see how Tolsma families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Tolsma family name was found in the USA, and Scotland between 1841 and 1920. The most Tolsma families were found in USA in 1920. In 1880 there were 23 Tolsma families living in Michigan. This was about 85% of all the recorded Tolsma's in USA. Michigan had the highest population of Tolsma families in 1880.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Tolsma 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 Tolsma ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Farmer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Tolsma. 45% of Tolsma men worked as a Farmer and 67% of Tolsma women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Tolsma were Truck Driver and Housewife.

View Census Data for Tolsma | 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.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Farmer
    45%
  • Salesman
    28%
  • Laborer
    17%
  • Truck Driver
    12%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    67%
  • Housewife
    34%

What Tolsma family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1,000 census records available for the last name Tolsma. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Tolsma census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Tolsma

Passenger Lists

There are 469 immigration records available for the last name Tolsma. 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 Tolsma immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 262 military records available for the last name Tolsma. For the veterans among your Tolsma ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Tolsma military records

You've only scratched the surface of Tolsma family history

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What is the average Tolsma lifespan?

Between 1961 and 2004, in the United States, Tolsma life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1975, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Tolsma in 1961 was 61, and 86 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Tolsma

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Tolsma 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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