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Tolson Family History

Tolson Surname Meaning

English (Yorkshire):: patronymic from the Middle English personal name Tol(l)e (see Towle) + -son ‘son of Tol(l)e’.

Habitational name from Toulston in Newton Kyme (Yorkshire). The placename derives from the personal name Toglos (probably from an Old Norse nickname Tauglauss ‘ropeless’).

Along with its Old English roots, the placename incorporates tūn ‘farmstead estate’.

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


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Where is the Tolson family from?

You can see how Tolson families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Tolson family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Tolson families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 14 Tolson families living in Ontario. This was about 56% of all the recorded Tolson's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Tolson families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Tolson 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 Tolson ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Tolson. 67% of Tolson men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Tolson women worked as a Stenographer.

View Census Data for Tolson | 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.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    67%
  • Shipper
    34%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    100%

What Tolson family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 35,000 census records available for the last name Tolson. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Tolson census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Tolson

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Tolson. 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 Tolson immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Tolson. For the veterans among your Tolson ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Tolson military records

You've only scratched the surface of Tolson family history

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What is the average Tolson lifespan?

Between 1948 and 2004, in the United States, Tolson life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1954, and highest in 2004. The average life expectancy for Tolson in 1948 was 57, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Tolson

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Tolson 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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