Show ContentsTolen History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

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

Early Origins of the Tolen family

The surname Tolen 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 Tolen family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Tolen 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 Tolen History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Tolen 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 Tolen that are preserved in archival documents are Toole, Tool, O'Toole, O'Tool, Tooley, Toile and many more.

Early Notables of the Tolen 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 Tolen Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Tolen migration to the United States +

Irish families left their homeland in astonishing numbers during the 19th century in search of a better life. Although individual reasons vary, most of these Irish families suffered from extreme poverty, lack of work opportunities, and exorbitant rents in their homeland. Many decided to travel to Australia or North America in the hopes of finding greater opportunities and land. The Irish immigrants that came to North America initially settled on the East Coast, often in major centers such as Boston or New York. But like the many other cultures to settle in North America, the Irish traveled to almost any region they felt held greater promise; as a result, many Irish with gold fever moved all the way out to the Pacific coast. Others before that time left for land along the St. Lawrence River and the Niagara Peninsula, or the Maritimes as United Empire Loyalists, for many Irish did choose to side with the English during the American War of Independence. The earliest wave of Irish migration, however, occurred during the Great Potato Famine of the 1840s. An examination of early immigration and passenger lists has revealed many people bearing the Tolen name:

Tolen Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Lilian A.L. Tolen, aged 31, originally from Barnes, England, arrived in New York in 1914 aboard the ship "Adriatic" from Liverpool, England 1
  • Patrick Tolen, aged 47, arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Columbia" from Glasgow, Scotland 1
  • Robert Tolen, aged 47, arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Columbia" from Glasgow, Scotland 1
  • Lilian Tolen, aged 28, originally from Ballintra, Ireland Co. Donegal, arrived in New York in 1922 aboard the ship "Columbia" from Londonderry, Ireland 1


  1. Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result


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