Tolman
Usually an English occupational surname meaning “toll man” or tax collector, though some Cornish families may have taken it from local place-names.
The #7,434 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 68,916 Americans shares it.
Etymology
In English, Tolman is generally explained as a compound of Middle English "toll" and "man," meaning a man who collected tolls or taxes. Some early writers also treated it as a form of Toller, with the same basic sense. In Cornwall, however, the name can also be local in origin, derived from place-names such as Tolvan, where the first element is linked to Cornish "toll" meaning a hole or hollow.
History
The surname appears in medieval and later records in forms such as Toleman, Tollman, and Tolman. English occupational use seems to be the main source in general, but Cornish surname books also connect some bearers with local names in Cornwall. The spelling has varied enough that some examples may reflect overlap between the occupational and place-name forms.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A Cornish explanation links Tolman to place-names built on "toll," a word used for a hole or hollow in local topography.
From the historical record
“TOLLMAN 1 (Eng.) Toll-Man, Tax-Col- TOLMAN \ LECTOR [M.E. O.E. toll, toll, tax TOLMON J + man] TOLMIE, a Scot.-Gael. form of the A.-Scaud. Holm(e, q.v. TOLMIN, 17th cent. Tolmin, Towlmyn, is prob. a Northern local name, in which case the second element is the O.N. minni, mynni, mouth (of a river, valley, etc.) : in…”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)