2010
#125,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Acolatse
A surname of Ewe origin from Ghana or Togo, likely referring to a personal characteristic or occupation.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 173 Americans carry the last name Acolatse. That puts it at #120,768 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,981,239 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Acolatse surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
173
1 in 1,981,239
Census rank
#120,768
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
151
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 151 bearers of the surname Acolatse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 120768th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Acolatse, the largest self-reported group is Black at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.6%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Acolatse
The surname ACOLATSE originated in the West African region of present-day Togo and Ghana. It can be traced back to the late 17th century, derived from the Ewe language spoken in those areas. The name is believed to have roots in the words "akɔla" meaning "farmer" and "tse" meaning "from," essentially translating to "one who comes from farmers."
Historical records indicate that the name ACOLATSE first appeared in written form in the early 18th century, with mentions in local village records and documentation from European traders and missionaries who had established contacts with the coastal regions of West Africa. One of the earliest known references is found in a Dutch East India Company trade log from 1712, which lists an individual named Agbodzi ACOLATSE as a local interpreter and guide.
Notable individuals with the surname ACOLATSE include Komla ACOLATSE (1892-1976), a prominent Ghanaian educator and linguist who played a crucial role in preserving and promoting the Ewe language and culture. Another significant figure was Dzifa ACOLATSE (1928-2010), a renowned Togolese artist and sculptor whose works celebrated traditional African themes and motifs.
In the late 19th century, the ACOLATSE name began appearing in records from the German colony of Togoland, with some variations in spelling such as AKOLATZEH or AKOLATSÉ. One notable individual from this period was Kwasi ACOLATSE (1856-1931), a respected chief and leader in the Volta Region who negotiated with German colonial authorities.
Moving into the 20th century, Abla ACOLATSE (1920-2005) was a Togolese politician and women's rights activist who played a significant role in her country's independence movement. She served as a member of the National Assembly and was recognized for her advocacy work.
Throughout its history, the surname ACOLATSE has maintained strong ties to its Ewe roots and the coastal regions of West Africa, where it originated and continues to be prevalent today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Acolatse
Among Census respondents with the surname Acolatse, the largest self-reported group is Black at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.6%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Acolatse bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Acolatse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American84.8% · 128
- Two or more races8.6% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 5
- White2.6% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Acolatse
Acolatse appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#120,768
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 151
+14 bearers (+10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 4,514 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #125,282 | 137 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #120,768 | 151 | 0.05 | +14 bearers (+10.2%) | Up 4,514 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Acolatse surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #125,282 | #120,768 | 3.6% |
| Count | 137 | 151 | 10.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | 1.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Acolatse bearers went from 137 to 151 (+10.2% change). The surname moved up 4,514 positions in the national ranking, going from #125,282 to #120,768.
FAQ
Acolatse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Acolatse?
Name Census estimates that about 173 living Americans carry the surname Acolatse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,981,239 residents.
How common is Acolatse?
Acolatse ranks #120,768 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 151 people with the surname Acolatse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (173), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Acolatse.
Has Acolatse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Acolatse went from 137 recorded bearers to 151. That is an increase of 14 (+10.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #125,282 to #120,768.
What does the Census say about the background of Acolatse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Acolatse, the largest self-reported group is Black at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.6%) and Hispanic (3.3%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Acolatse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.8% (128 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Acolatse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (84.8%), Two or More Races (8.6%), Hispanic (3.3%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Acolatse (2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Acolatse mean?
A surname of Ewe origin from Ghana or Togo, likely referring to a personal characteristic or occupation. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Acolatse (0.05 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Acolatse?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.