Find out how popular the last name Colbert is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Colbert.

Colbert, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Colbert surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Colbert in America

Colbert is the 1570th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Colbert surname appeared 22,940 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Colbert.

We can also compare 2010 data for Colbert to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Colbert

The surname Colbert is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "col" meaning "neck" and "bert" meaning "bright" or "famous." It is believed to have originated in the medieval era, around the 11th or 12th century, in the northern regions of France.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Colbert can be found in the Domesday Book, a manuscript compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Coleberd," likely referring to a person with a distinctive or prominent neck.

In the 13th century, the name Colbert was associated with the town of Colbert-sous-Salmaise, located in the Côte-d'Or region of Burgundy, France. This place name may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.

During the reign of Louis XIV in the 17th century, Jean-Baptiste Colbert (1619-1683) was a prominent French statesman and finance minister. His administrative reforms and promotion of mercantilism played a significant role in the economic development of France.

Another notable figure with the surname Colbert was Édouard-Philippe Colbert (1636-1710), a French nobleman and military officer who served as the Governor-General of French West Indies from 1677 to 1683.

In the 18th century, Jean-Baptiste-Joachim Colbert (1734-1789) was a French nobleman and politician who served as the Minister of State under King Louis XVI.

The Colbert family also had a strong presence in the United States, with notable individuals such as Claudette Colbert (1903-1996), a renowned American actress who starred in films like "It Happened One Night" and "Since You Went Away."

Another prominent American with the Colbert surname was Stephen Colbert (born 1964), a celebrated comedian, writer, and television host known for his satirical news program "The Colbert Report" and his current role as the host of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

While the surname Colbert has evolved over time, with variations in spelling and pronunciation across different regions, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in northern France, where it was likely associated with a person's physical attributes or place of residence.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Colbert

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Colbert.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Colbert was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Colbert has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Colbert was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Colbert, please contact us.

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