O'Toole
An Irish surname from a Gaelic clan name meaning “descendant of Tadhg/Toole,” long associated with County Wicklow.
The #3,309 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 28,477 Americans shares it.
Etymology
O’Toole is the anglicized form of the Irish Gaelic surname Ó Tuathail. The first element, Ó, means “descendant of,” while Tuathal is a personal name traditionally understood as “ruler of the people” or “lordly.” In older English spellings the name often appears without the apostrophe, as OToole or O'Toole.
History
The O’Tooles were a prominent Irish kindred historically associated with County Wicklow and neighboring areas. Medieval genealogical tradition linked them to ancient Irish royal lines, and the clan is repeatedly mentioned in early Irish history and later antiquarian writing. The surname remains common in Ireland and among the Irish diaspora.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The clan name survives in a famous Dublin pub and in many place-name and family-history references tied to the Wicklow mountains.
From the historical record
“Suffolk. OTOOLE. The O^Tooles, or Tuaghalls, claim an ancient Milesian descent from Cathaor More, King of Leinster, of the race of Laogaore, Monarch of Ireland, contem- porary with St. Patrick. At the tune of the English invasion under Henry II., they held a great territory in co. Wicklow. From the Telegraph, Irish…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom