Show ContentsTole History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Tole is a name of ancient Norman origin. It arrived in England with the Norman Conquest of 1066. Tole is a name that comes from the Norman given name Tollet.

Early Origins of the Tole family

The surname Tole was first found in Staffordshire where they held a family seat, some say from about the 12th century. The name was derived from Tollet, a Norman noble who entered England after the Norman Conquest in 1066. The earliest recorded instance of the name appears to be of Walter Tulet in the 1219 in the Pipe Rolls for Northumberland. Other early references show Robert Tuylet in 1295 in Cornwall, and Robert Tuliet in 1361 in the Feet of Fines for Essex. [1]

"Henry Tullet and Gilian his wife in Kent, and Robert Tulleyt in Wiltshire, c. 1272 (Hundredorum Rolls). John Tolet is mentioned about 1380 in the county of Durham. Bernard Tulet held of Sir John de Baliol at Byvvell in Northumberland 1268." [2]

Early History of the Tole family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tole research. Another 106 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1674, 1694, 1701, 1718, 1719, 1741, 1754 and 1771 are included under the topic Early Tole History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tole Spelling Variations

Anglo-Norman names tend to be marked by an enormous number of spelling variations. This is largely due to the fact that Old and Middle English lacked any spelling rules when Norman French was introduced in the 11th century. The languages of the English courts at that time were French and Latin. These various languages mixed quite freely in the evolving social milieu. The final element of this mix is that medieval scribes spelled words according to their sounds rather than any definite rules, so a name was often spelled in as many different ways as the number of documents it appeared in. The name was spelled Tollet, Tolle, Tolley, Tolly, Tollie, Tollye, Tulet, Tullet and many more.

Early Notables of the Tole family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Jethro Tull (1674-1741), an English agricultural pioneer born in Basildon, Berkshire who helped bring about the British Agricultural Revolution, he perfected a horse-drawn seed drill in 1701 that economically sowed the seeds in neat rows, eponym of the British...
Another 46 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tole Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Tole migration to the United States +

Because of the political and religious discontent in England, families began to migrate abroad in enormous numbers. Faced with persecution and starvation at home, the open frontiers and generally less oppressive social environment of the New World seemed tantalizing indeed to many English people. The trip was difficult, and not all made it unscathed, but many of those who did get to Canada and the United States made important contributions to the young nations in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers with Tole name or one of its variants:

Tole Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Frances Tole, who landed in Maryland in 1670 [3]
  • Robert Tole, who landed in Maryland in 1670 [3]
  • Roger Tole, who arrived in Maryland in 1670 [3]
  • Henry Tole, who arrived in Maryland in 1671 [3]
Tole Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James Tole, who landed in New York, NY in 1817 [3]
  • John Tole, who arrived in New York, NY in 1817 [3]
  • D DeLa Tole, aged 50, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1829 [3]

Canada Tole migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Tole Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Patrick Tole, aged 20, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Cupid" in 1834

New Zealand Tole migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Tole Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Tole, British settler travelling from London, UK aboard the ship "Bank of England" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 28th December 1855 [4]
  • Mrs. Tole, British settler travelling from London, UK with 6 children aboard the ship "Bank of England" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 28th December 1855 [4]


The Tole Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Prudentia in adversis
Motto Translation: Prudence in adversity.


  1. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  2. Cleveland, Dutchess of The Battle Abbey Roll with some Account of the Norman Lineages. London: John Murray, Abermarle Street, 1889. Print. Volume 3 of 3
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


Houseofnames.com on Facebook