Show ContentsToner History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Throughout history, very few Irish surnames have exclusively maintained their original forms. Before being translated into English, Toner appeared as O Tomhrair. The surname Toner is derived from the Norse forename Tomar, which was the name of a Scandinavian king of Dublin during the 10th century. Nevertheless, the Toner family is distinctly Gaelic. It was common practice for Irish men who married women of Norse stock to baptize their children by a Norse name.

Early Origins of the Toner family

The surname Toner was first found in Derry, where they were anciently descended from the Cenel Eoghain (the Clann Owen) which had held lands in Tyrone and Derry for over a thousand years.

Early History of the Toner family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Toner research. Another 98 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Toner History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Toner Spelling Variations

People who were accounted for by scribes and church officials often had their name recorded many different ways because pronunciation was the only guide those scribes and church officials had to go by. This resulted in the problem of one person's name being recorded under several different variations, creating the illusion of more than one person. Among the many spelling variations of the surname Toner that are preserved in archival documents are Toner,Tonry and others.

Early Notables of the Toner family

Notable amongst the family up to this time was

  • Toner of Armagh and Derry

Toner Ranking

In the United States, the name Toner is the 7,115th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. [1]


United States Toner migration to the United States +

A great mass of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century, seeking relief from various forms of social, religious, and economic discrimination. This Irish exodus was primarily to North America. If the migrants survived the long ocean journey, many unfortunately would find more discrimination in the colonies of British North America and the fledgling United States of America. These newly arrived Irish were, however, wanted as a cheap source of labor for the many large agricultural and industrial projects that were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the western world. Early immigration and passenger lists indicate many people bearing the Toner name:

Toner Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Arthur Toner, who was naturalized in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in 1810
  • Bryant Toner, who was listed as a British Alien in the United States during the War of 1812
  • Bryant Toner, aged 22, who landed in New York in 1812 [2]
  • Francis Toner, who arrived at the port of Philadelphia in 1816
  • Meredith Toner, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1818 [2]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Toner migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Toner Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Michael Toner, aged 25, a labourer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the brig "Dorcas Savage" from Belfast, Ireland
  • Mr. William Toner, aged 5 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Goliah" departing 21st May 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 21st May 1847 but he died on board [3]
  • James Toner, who arrived in Quebec in 1854

Australia Toner migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Toner Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Patrick Toner, (b. 1779), aged 49, Irish farm labourer who was convicted in County Cavan, Ireland for life for arson, transported aboard the "Fergusson" on 16th November 1828, arriving in New South Wales, Australia [4]
  • Mr. Arthur Toner, British Convict who was convicted in Corfu, Greece for 14 years, transported aboard the "Canton" on 20th September 1839, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [5]
  • Peter Toner, aged 22, a farm servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Lysander" [6]
  • Elizabeth Toner, aged 31, a servant, who arrived in South Australia in 1851 aboard the ship "Lysander" [6]

New Zealand Toner 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:

Toner Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Patrick Toner, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Portland" in 1864
  • Mary Toner, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Portland" in 1864
  • Ann Toner, aged 20, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Queen of Nations" in 1874
  • William Toner, aged 24, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rakaia" in 1879
  • Martha Toner, aged 22, a domestic servant, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Rakaia" in 1879
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Toner (post 1700) +

  • Elizabeth "Bessie" Toner, American motion picture and theater actress
  • Michael E. Toner, American attorney and political appointee
  • Roberta 'Robin' Denise Toner (1954-2008), American journalist
  • James J. "Jimmy" Toner (b. 1940), American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer
  • John L. Toner (b. 1923), American former college football head coach and athletic director
  • Tyler Toner, American professional mixed martial arts fighter
  • Robin Toner (1954-2008), American journalist for The New York Times
  • Michael E Toner, American bureaucrat, member of the Federal Election Commission (2002)
  • Niall Toner (b. 1944), Irish Bluegrass musician, song-writer and radio broadcaster
  • Joseph Samuel Toner (1894-1954), Irish professional footballer
  • ... (Another 7 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

RMS Lusitania
  • Mr. Francis "Frank" Toner, Irish Fireman from Liverpool, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and survived the sinking [7]


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 97)
  4. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 4th October 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fergusson
  5. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canton
  6. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LYSANDER 1851. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1851Lysander.htm
  7. Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/


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