Taliaferro ( /ˈtɒlɪvər/ TOL-i-vər), also spelled Talifero,Tellifero Tolliver, or Toliver, is a prominent family in the United States Commonwealth of Virginia. The Taliaferros (originally Tagliaferro, ironcutter in Italian) are one of the early families who settled in Virginia in the 17th century. They migrated from London, where an ancestor had served as a musician in the court of Queen Elizabeth I. The surname originates with a northern Italian immigrant who had moved to England.

A legend exists about the name having originated in Roman times in what was called Gaul, which leads many bearers of the name to believe that their ancestors were actually French, not Italian, since Gaul is generally known to be the ancient name for today's France; however, Gaul was a term applied to a very wide region that also comprised the whole of northern Italy called Cisalpine Gaul. Tagliaferro is a common surname in northeastern Italy, especially in the area around Venice.

The origins of the Taliaferro name were of interest to George Wythe, Virginia colonial lawyer and classical scholar, who had married a Taliaferro. Wythe urged his former student and friend Thomas Jefferson to investigate the name when Jefferson traveled to Italy. Jefferson later reported to Wythe that he had found two families of the name in Tuscany, and that the family was of Italian origin. Jefferson enclosed his sketch of the coat-of-arms of the Tagliaferro family as reported to him by a friend in Florence, Italy.

Kristi Toliver (born January 27, 1987) is an American basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA. She is from Harrisonburg, Virginia, and has an older sister, Carli. She is the daughter of former NBA referee, George Toliver, and Peggy Toliver.

Attended Harrisonburg High School and graduated in 2005. At HHS she was a member of the Symphonic Band, and Student Government Secretary. Toliver was named a WBCA All-American. She participated in the 2005 WBCA High School All-America Game, where she scored nine points.

A standout player from the University of Maryland, Toliver was known for her shooting and propensity to produce in clutch situations, as shown in the 2006 National Championship game when Toliver, then a freshman, hit a game-tying three-pointer to send the game into overtime against Duke, eventually leading to a win and Maryland's first national championship.

In the 2009 WNBA Draft, the Chicago Sky selected point guard Kristi Toliver with the 3rd pick. Toliver was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks just before the start of the 2010 season.