Show ContentsTollen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Throughout history, very few Irish surnames have exclusively maintained their original forms. Before being translated into English, Tollen appeared as Ó Tuathail, which is derived from "tuathal," which means "people mighty."

Early Origins of the Tollen family

The surname Tollen was first found in County Kildare (Irish:Cill Dara), ancient homeland of the Kildare based Uí Dúnlainge (Kings of Leinster), located in the Province of Leinster, seated at O'Toole's Castle, where they were descended from Tuathal, King of Leinster who died in 950 A.D.

Early History of the Tollen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tollen research. Another 102 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1128, 1180, 1225, 1327, 1590, 1670 and 1722 are included under the topic Early Tollen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tollen Spelling Variations

Within the archives researched, many different spelling variations of the surname Tollen were found. These included One reason for the many variations is that scribes and church officials often spelled an individual's name as it sounded. This imprecise method often led to many versions. Toole, Tool, O'Toole, O'Tool, Tooley, Toile and many more.

Early Notables of the Tollen family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was St. Laurence O'Toole; Lorcán Ua Tuathail, also known as St Laurence O'Toole, (1128-1180), Archbishop of Dublin, canonized in 1225 by Pope Honorius III; and Adam Dubh Ó Tuathail, died 1327...
Another 38 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Tollen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Tollen family

A massive amount of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century for North America and Australia in hopes of finding more opportunities and an escape from discrimination and oppression. A great portion of these migrants arrived on the eastern shores of the North American continent. Although they were generally poor and destitute, and, therefore, again discriminated against, these Irish people were heartily welcomed for the hard labor involved in the construction of railroads, canals, roadways, and buildings. Many others were put to work in the newly established factories or agricultural projects that were so essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the world. The Great Potato Famine during the late 1840s initiated the largest wave of Iris immigration. Early North American immigration and passenger lists have revealed a number of people bearing the name Tollen or a variant listed above: Ann Tool arrived in America in 1702; Christian Tool settled in Virginia in 1726; John Tool settled in Maryland in 1775; followed by Robert in 1776; James Tool settled in Boston Mass in 1766.



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