Meaning & History
Tolly is an English masculine given name, primarily used as a diminutive of Bartholomew.
The name Bartholomew itself derives from the Greek Βαρθολομαῖος (Bartholomaios), which is the Hellenized form of an Aramaic name meaning "son of Talmai." In the New Testament, Bartholomew is listed as one of the twelve apostles, possibly the same person as Nathanael.
As a diminutive, Tolly shares the legacy of Bartholomew, which became common in medieval England due to the veneration of Saint Bartholomew, an apostle traditionally said to have preached in India and Armenia before being martyred by flaying.
Notable bearers of the name include Tolly Burkan (born 1948), a firewalking spokesperson, and Tolly Burnett (1923–1993), an English cricketer. The name also appears as a surname, with figures such as William Tolly (1715–1784), an officer in the British East India Company, and the Russian noble family Barclay de Tolly, including field marshal Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly (1761–1818).
Cultural References
Tolly appears in popular culture, such as the fictional character Emma Tolly from the Children of the Red King series, as well as the 2008 Indian film Tolly Lights and the former English brewing company Tolly Cobbold.
- Meaning: Diminutive of Bartholomew ("son of Talmai")
- Origin: English, from Aramaic via Greek
- Type: Given name and surname
- Usage: English-speaking countries
Related Names
Sources: Wikipedia — Tolly