Tóth

Tóth is a Hungarian ethnonymic surname, derived from tót, an older Hungarian term for a Slovak or, more broadly, a Slav (specifically a Croat, Slovene, or Slovak). This surname is extremely common in Hungary, consistently ranking among the top three most frequent surnames in the country. Its usage also extends to neighboring Slovakia, where it appears as Tóth or in the feminized form Tóthová.

Etymology

The word tót originally referred to Slavic peoples living in the Kingdom of Hungary, particularly those from Slovakia and Slovenia. Over time, it became a general reference to Slavs, as evidenced by place names like Tótszerdahely and Tótszentmárton in southern Hungary (areas with Croatian and Slovenian communities). The surname Tóth thus denoted someone of Slavic descent, functioning similarly to ethnonymic surnames in other languages (e.g., Német for Germans). While Tóth is primarily a Hungarian surname, there is also a German-origin surname Toth (from Tod, pronounced similarly), but this is distinct in etymology.

Cultural and historical significance

The prevalence of Tóth reflects Hungary's multi-ethnic history. For centuries, Slovaks and other Slavic groups lived within the Hungarian Kingdom, and as surnames were codified in the 18th–19th centuries, ethnonymic identifiers became widespread. Today, Tóth is a symbol of Hungarian-Slavic kinship, with many bearers, such as Saint Alexis Toth (a Ruthenian American saint) and conductor Aladár Tóth, showcasing the name's broad cultural reach. A variant form of the surname, Tót, exists in Hungarian with identical meaning.

Notable bearers

Numerous notable individuals carry the name Tóth, including figure skater Ádám Tóth, handballer Ádám Tóth, pentathlete Adrienn Tóth, cartoonist Alex Toth, footballers such as Alexander Tóth (Slovak), and multiple scholars and artists. These examples illustrate the surname's wide distribution across sports, arts, and sciences in both Hungary and the broader diaspora.

Distribution and variants

Data from telephone book records and census counts confirm that Tóth is one of the most common Hungarian surnames—alongside Nagy ("Great") and Kovács ("Smith"). In Slovakia, where many ethnic Hungarians live, the surname appears in both original Tóthová (common among women in Slavic usage) remain frequent.

• Meaning: "Slovak" or "Slovene" (originally a general term for Slavs)
• Origin: Hungarian
• Type: Ethnonymic surname
• Usage regions: Hungary, Slovakia