Koleson
A masculine name of uncertain meaning and origin.
Name Census estimates that about 414 living Americans carry the first name Koleson. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Koleson today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Koleson births was 2024 (54 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Koleson. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
414
~ 1 in 827,909 Americans
Peak year
2024
54 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,509
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Koleson: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Koleson from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 220 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Koleson by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Koleson during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kolesons live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. Texas, Ohio, Kentucky recorded the most babies named Koleson, while West Virginia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 7 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Koleson
The name Koleson has its origins in the ancient Germanic language, tracing back to around the 5th century AD. It is derived from the Germanic root words "kol" meaning coal or black, and "son" which signifies son or descendant. This combination suggests the name may have originally referred to a person with dark or swarthy features, or perhaps a son born to a family involved in coal mining or metalworking.
During the Middle Ages, variants of the name such as Koleson, Coleson, and Colson were found scattered across various regions of Europe, particularly in areas with strong Germanic cultural influences. One of the earliest recorded instances is found in a 9th century monastic record from the Rhineland region, where a monk named Koleson is mentioned.
In the 11th century, a Koleson of Saxony was noted as a skilled blacksmith and armorer, contributing to the production of weapons and armor for the local nobility. This association with metalworking trades may have further cemented the name's connection to its coal-related etymology.
The name gained broader recognition in the 13th century when a Koleson of Flanders emerged as a prominent merchant and trader, establishing trade routes throughout the Low Countries and parts of France. His success and influence helped to spread the name's use across these regions.
One of the most notable historical figures bearing the name was Koleson the Wise, a 14th century scholar and philosopher from the Free Imperial City of Nuremberg. His writings on ethics, metaphysics, and natural philosophy earned him widespread acclaim and a lasting legacy within the intellectual circles of his time.
In the 16th century, a Koleson von Halberstadt gained renown as a skilled navigator and explorer, accompanying several expeditions to the New World and contributing to the mapping of coastal regions in what is now modern-day Brazil and the Caribbean.
As the name spread across various cultures and regions, its spelling and pronunciation evolved, leading to variants such as Colson, Coleson, and Colisson. However, the core meaning and historical roots remained connected to its Germanic origins and associations with coal, metalworking, and darker physical features.
People
Koleson + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Koleson as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Koleson: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Koleson?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 414 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Koleson going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 827,909 US residents.
Is Koleson a common name?
We classify Koleson as "Very Rare". It ranks above 82.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 417 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Koleson most popular?
The single biggest year for Koleson was 2024, when 54 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Koleson is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Koleson in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Koleson a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Koleson in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Koleson still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Koleson in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Koleson can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Koleson?
Want to know how many people have the name Koleson? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.