Tolson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Scotland

The Tolson surname is a patronymic created from the Old English name Toll, "a pet form of Bartholomew (son of Talmai, furrow); dweller, or collector, at a tollhouse." 1

Early Origins of the Tolson family

The surname Tolson was first found in Lancashire where the Lancashire Wills at Richmond listed John Towlyngson, of the parish of Mellyinge (no date); Richard Towlson, or Tounsoun, of Dalton, 1587; George Toulson, of Poulton, 1672; and George Towlnson, of Pilling, 1673. 2 Further to the south, John Tulesan was Lord Mayor of London in 1252.

Early History of the Tolson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tolson research. Another 146 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1290, 1590, 1622, 1630, 1646, 1648, 1650, 1660, 1667 and 1689 are included under the topic Early Tolson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tolson Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Tolson, Tollson, Tolsen and others.

Early Notables of the Tolson family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Henry Tolson, High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1646
Richard Tolson (1622-1689), an English lawyer and politician from Cumbria, Member of Parliament for Cumberland (1646-1648), Cockermouth in 1660 and later became High Sheriff of Cumberland in 1667

Tolson Ranking

In the United States, the name Tolson is the 6,673^rd most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 3

Tolson migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Tolson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

John Tolson, who arrived in Virginia in 1648 4
Thomas Tolson, who landed in Maryland in 1664 4

Tolson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Prunise Tolson, who arrived in Maryland in 1707 4
William Tolson, who arrived in Georgia in 1737 4
Mr. Tolson who settled in Georgia in 1737
John Tolson, who settled in Virginia in 1774

Tolson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

George Tolson, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1880

Contemporary Notables of the name Tolson (post 1700) +

T. A. Tolson, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from District of Columbia, 1868 5
Richard Tolson, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from New Jersey, 2008 5
Jerod Tolson (b. 1972), American Republican politician, Delegate to Republican National Convention from District of Columbia, 2004 5
Edward F. Tolson, American politician, Mayor of Laurel, Maryland, 1920-22, 1940-46 5
Clarence L. Tolson, American Democratic Party politician, Candidate for Connecticut State House of Representatives from Hartland, 1920 5
Edgar Tolson (1904-1984), American woodcarver and well-known folk artist
Randall Tolson, American memorial clockmaker who lived in Cold Spring Harbor, New York
Melvin Beaunorus Tolson, American Modernist poet, educator, columnist, and politician
Joe Pat Tolson, American Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly
Clyde Anderson Tolson (1900-1975), American associate director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
... (Another 2 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The Tolson 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: Ferro comite
Motto Translation: My sword my companion.

Citations +

Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
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)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, October 21) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html