Explore the Family Name Tolfree
The meaning of Tolfree
English (Hampshire; of Norman origin): from the early Middle English personal name T(h)orferth (Anglo-Scandinavian Thorferth) or T(h)orfrey (Old French Torfrei), which are the English and Norman forms of an Old Norse name composed of the name of the Scandinavian god of thunder, Thórr, + frøthr or frithr ‘peace’. The spelling of this name by folk etymology as Tol(l)free, as if from a phrase meaning ‘not obliged to pay tax’, is not an American development, but was already in evidence in 16th-century England.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Tolfree in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Tolfree saw a slight rise between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the rank of the surname was 95,567 which improved to 93,513 in 2010, marking a change of 2.15%. The count of individuals bearing the surname also increased from 177 in 2000 to 196 in 2010, resulting in a growth rate of 10.73%. Despite these changes, the proportion of the surname per 100k people remained constant at 0.07.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #95,567 | #93,513 | 2.15% |
| Count | 177 | 196 | 10.73% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.07 | 0.07 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Tolfree
The ethnicity associated with the surname Tolfree, according to Decennial U.S. Census data, is predominantly White, accounting for 78.53% in 2000 and slightly increasing to 79.59% in 2010. The percentage of Black ethnicity declined marginally from 16.38% in 2000 to 15.82% in 2010. In 2000, there was a small Hispanic representation of 3.39%, but this dropped to zero by 2010. There were no reported instances of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native, or of those having two or more races, in both census years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 78.53% | 79.59% | 1.35% |
| Black | 16.38% | 15.82% | -3.42% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 3.39% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |