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

Colburn, 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 Colburn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Colburn in America

Colburn is the 3564th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Colburn surname appeared 10,005 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Colburn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Colburn 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 Colburn

The surname Colburn has its origins in England and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the place name "Colburn" in the county of Yorkshire. This place name is thought to have stemmed from the Old English words "col" meaning charcoal and "burna" meaning a stream, likely referring to a stream near a charcoal-burning area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Colburn can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire, a census-like record from 1273. The name appears spelled as "de Colburne" in this document. Other early spellings include "Colburne" and "Colbourne."

The Colburn surname can also be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of landowners and their holdings commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this text, the place name "Colburne" is mentioned in relation to Yorkshire.

Notable individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Colburn include William Colburn (1737-1820), an English publisher and bookseller who founded the publishing firm William Colburn and Co. in London. Another prominent figure was Zerah Colburn (1804-1840), an American mathematical prodigy who gained fame for his ability to perform complex calculations mentally from a very young age.

In the 19th century, there was Warren Colburn (1793-1833), an American educator and author of several influential mathematics textbooks. One of his most renowned works was "Colburn's First Lessons," which was widely used in schools across the United States.

Additionally, there was Silas Colburn (1816-1899), an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Vermont.

Lastly, a notable figure from more recent history is Walter Colburn (1920-2018), an American aviator and engineer who played a crucial role in the development of the X-15 rocket-powered aircraft during the early years of the American space program.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Colburn

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

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 Colburn 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 Colburn 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 Colburn was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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