2000
#43,798
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 464
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.17
Very Rare Last name
Colaianni
A surname likely of Italian origin denoting someone from the town of Colaianni.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 524 Americans carry the last name Colaianni. That puts it at #49,659 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 654,111 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Colaianni 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
524
1 in 654,111
Census rank
#49,659
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
457
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 457 bearers of the surname Colaianni in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 49659th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Colaianni, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Colaianni
The surname Colaianni has its origins in Italy, specifically in the southern region of Calabria. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, sometime between the 11th and 13th centuries.
The name Colaianni is derived from the Latin word "colinus," which means "dweller on a hill." This suggests that the name may have originated from individuals or families who lived in hilly or mountainous areas of Calabria.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Colaianni can be found in the "Codice Diplomatico Barese," a collection of historical documents from the Basilicata region, dating back to the 12th century. The name appears in a document related to land ownership and transactions.
In the 15th century, a notable figure with the surname Colaianni was Nicola Colaianni, a scholar and humanist from the town of Cosenza in Calabria. He was renowned for his contributions to the study of ancient Greek and Latin texts.
During the 16th century, the name Colaianni can be traced to the town of Spezzano Albanese, located in the province of Cosenza. This town was historically known for its skilled artisans and craftsmen, and it is possible that individuals with the surname Colaianni were involved in these trades.
Another notable figure with the surname Colaianni was Francesco Colaianni, a philosopher and theologian who lived in the 17th century. He was born in the town of Grotteria, also in the province of Reggio Calabria, and is remembered for his writings on moral philosophy and ethics.
In the 19th century, a prominent figure with the surname Colaianni was Nicola Colaianni, a lawyer and politician from the town of Palmi in Calabria. He served as a member of the Italian Parliament and was actively involved in the political and social movements of the time.
The surname Colaianni has also been associated with various place names in Calabria, such as the town of Colaianni (now known as Colobraro) in the province of Matera, and the village of Colaiani in the province of Cosenza.
Overall, the surname Colaianni has a rich historical background deeply rooted in the southern Italian region of Calabria, with connections to scholars, philosophers, politicians, and artisans throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Colaianni
Among Census respondents with the surname Colaianni, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Colaianni 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 Colaianni surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 431
- Hispanic or Latino2.2% · 10
- Two or more races1.8% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 5
- Black or African American0.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Colaianni
Colaianni appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#48,717
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 433
-31 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 4,919 places
2020
#49,659
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 457
+24 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 942 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #43,798 | 464 | 0.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #48,717 | 433 | 0.15 | -31 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 4,919 places |
| 2020 | #49,659 | 457 | 0.15 | +24 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 942 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 Colaianni 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 | #48,717 | #49,659 | -1.9% |
| Count | 433 | 457 | 5.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.15 | 1.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Colaianni bearers went from 433 to 457 (+5.5% change). The surname moved down 942 positions in the national ranking, going from #48,717 to #49,659.
FAQ
Colaianni surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Colaianni?
Name Census estimates that about 524 living Americans carry the surname Colaianni. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 654,111 residents.
How common is Colaianni?
Colaianni ranks #49,659 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 457 people with the surname Colaianni. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (524), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Colaianni.
Has Colaianni become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Colaianni went from 433 recorded bearers to 457. That is an increase of 24 (+5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #48,717 to #49,659.
What does the Census say about the background of Colaianni?
Among Census respondents with the surname Colaianni, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.2%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Colaianni in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (431 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Colaianni appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Hispanic (2.2%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Colaianni (2000, 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 Colaianni mean?
A surname likely of Italian origin denoting someone from the town of Colaianni. 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 Colaianni (0.15 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 Colaianni?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.