Toole

Toole is a surname and toponym used in English-language contexts. It appears in various records and may be encountered in both historical and contemporary contexts, including literature, geography, and local history.

The most widely known person bearing the name is John Kennedy Toole (1937–1969), an American novelist whose novel A Confederacy of Dunces was published posthumously in 1980. The work won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1981, bringing renewed attention to Toole and his contribution to American literature. The novel is noted for its satirical wit, its portrayal of New Orleans, and its distinctive narrative voice.

Toole County, Montana, is a county in the state of Montana, United States. It is one of several places in North America associated with the Toole name, reflecting the surname’s presence in geographic naming practices.

See also: O'Toole, a related surname; Tooley, a variant spelling.