Explore the Family Name O'Toole

The meaning of O'Toole

Irish (Dublin): Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Tuathail ‘descendant of Tuathal’, an ancient Celtic personal name based on tuath ‘people’ + val- ‘might, rule’. Compare Toland. This name has also been erroneously associated with Gaelic tuile ‘flood’ and therefore occasionally Anglicized as Flood. Some characteristic forenames: Irish Brendan, Caitlin, Eamonn, Eoin, Kelan, Kieran, Michael Patrick, Niall, Patrick James, Peadar, Siobhan.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name O'Toole in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname O'Toole has maintained a steady popularity from 2000 to 2010. The ranking in both years was 3,112, with 10,663 individuals sharing this surname. This represents a proportion of 3.95 per 100,000 people, which remained unchanged over the decade.

20002010Change
Rank#3,112#3,1120%
Count10,66310,6630%
Proportion per 100k3.953.950%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name O'Toole

When examining the ethnic identity associated with the last name O'Toole, data from the Decennial U.S. Census indicates no change between 2000 and 2010. The highest percentage, 96.07%, identifies as White, followed by Hispanic at 1.99%. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or Black held relatively low percentages at 0.50% and 0.42% respectively. Additionally, those who identify with two or more races and American Indian and Alaskan Native also maintained consistent proportions of 0.86% and 0.16%, respectively.

20002010Change
White96.07%96.07%0%
Hispanic1.99%1.99%0%
Two or More Races0.86%0.86%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.5%0.5%0%
Black0.42%0.42%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.16%0.16%0%

O'Toole ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname O'Toole is British & Irish, which comprises 65.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (11.2%) and Eastern European (6.7%). Additional ancestries include Italian, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Greek & Balkan, and Ashkenazi Jewish.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish65.1%
French & German11.2%
Eastern European6.7%
Other17.0%
O'Toole

Possible origins of the surname O'Toole

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name O'Toole have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Glasgow City, United Kingdom91.90%
Merseyside, United Kingdom91.90%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom91.90%
Greater London, United Kingdom91.90%
West Yorkshire, United Kingdom91.40%

What O'Toole haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname O'Toole is R-CTS241, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-CTS241 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-L21 and R-Y4010, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: O'Toole, Fogarty, Callaghan, Southard, Hennessey, Mcdonnell, Mccarthy, Clancy, O'Neil, Devine.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with O'Toole surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

o-toolePaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname O'Toole have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

O'Toole

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"O'Toole" Surname 42.9%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

O'Toole

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"O'Toole" Surname 25.8%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

O'Toole

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"O'Toole" Surname 12.4%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

O'Toole

Cat Allergy

An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.

"O'Toole" Surname 31.0%

23andMe Users 36.7%

Are health conditions linked to the last name O'Toole?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname O'Toole are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%