Show ContentsToon History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Toon is of Anglo-Saxon origin. It is derived from the Old English "tun," which originally meant "fence" or "enclosure," but soon came to mean "enclosure round a house," "homestead," "village," or "town." The name was originally preceded by a preposition, and referred to "one who lived in or at the village or town."

Early Origins of the Toon family

The surname Toon was first found in Suffolk. The written history of the name dates back as far as 1095, when Wistric Oftun was recorded in the records of the abbey at Bury St. Edmunds. Variations on the surname, such as Abothetoune, atte Tun, and Douninthetune, could also be found in this region at an early date.

Early History of the Toon family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Toon research. Another 109 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1095, 1275, 1327, 1524, 1583, 1621, 1640, 1650, 1692, 1739 and 1816 are included under the topic Early Toon History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Toon Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Town, Tune, Toune, Towne, Townes, Towns, Tone, Toon and many more.

Early Notables of the Toon family

Notables of the family at this time include John Towne (c.1583), a British actor, Robert Towne (c.1650), a religious writer, and Francis Towne (1739-1816), a well-known British watercolor painter of landscapes. Rebecca Towne Nurse (or Nourse) (1621-1692) (née Towne)...
Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Toon Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Toon Ranking

In the United States, the name Toon is the 7,935th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Toon migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Toon Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Antoni Toon, aged 26, who landed in New York in 1849 2
  • Edward Toon, who was naturalized in Philadelphia in 1868
Toon Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Arthur Toon, aged 9, who settled in America from Kidderminster, England, in 1911
  • Charles Toon, aged 17, who immigrated to the United States from Kidderminster, England, in 1911
  • Elise Toon, aged 19, who landed in America from Kidderminster, England, in 1911
  • Catherine Toon, aged 28, who landed in America from Dalbeathe, Scotland, in 1914
  • Catherine Toon, aged 28, who immigrated to America from Wegan, England, in 1914
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Toon migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Toon Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Moses Toon, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749

New Zealand Toon 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:

Toon Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Thomas Toon, (b. 1858), aged 6 months, English settler from Leicester travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th May 1859 3
  • Mr. John Toon, (b. 1837), aged 22, English labourer from Leicester travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th May 1859 3
  • Mrs. Mary Ann Toon, (b. 1837), aged 22, English settler from Leicester travelling from Gravesend aboard the ship "Victory " arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 14th May 1859 3
  • Mr. Sherard Toon, (b. 1840), aged 21, British farm labourer travelling from London aboard the ship "Mystery" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 7th January 1862 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Toon (post 1700) +

  • Nicholas Adam "Nick" Toon (b. 1988), American football wide receiver, son of Al Toon
  • Albert Lee "Al" Toon Jr. (b. 1963), American former NFL football player who played for the New York Jets (1985–1992), three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver
  • Thomas Fentress Toon (1840-1902), American brigadier general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War
  • Owen Brian Toon (b. 1947), American professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences, Fellow of the American Meteorological Society in 1990 and Fellow of the American Geophysical Union in 1992
  • Malcolm Toon (1916-2009), American diplomat, U.S. Ambassador to Czechoslovakia (1969-1971), Yugoslavia in 1971, Israel (1975-1976) and the Soviet Union (1976-1979)
  • James Harry Cecil Toon (1916-1987), English cricketer who played for Northamptonshire
  • Joseph Toon (1879-1950), English cricketer who played for Leicestershire (1902-1909)
  • Peter Toon (1939-2009), English priest and theologian and an international advocate of traditional Anglicanism
  • Paige Toon (b. 1975), Australian-born, author and freelance journalist
  • Maurice Toon, New Zealand silver medalist Paralympic boccia player at the 2004 Paralympic Games
  • ... (Another 1 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  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. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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