2000
#50,686
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 387
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Rare Last name
Colchado
A surname derived from the Spanish word "colchado," meaning quilted or padded.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,232 Americans carry the last name Colchado. That puts it at #24,300 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 278,210 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Colchado 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
1.2K
1 in 278,210
Census rank
#24,300
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,074 bearers of the surname Colchado in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 24300th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Colchado, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.6%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Colchado
The surname Colchado is of Spanish origin, with roots that can be traced back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the Spanish word "colchado," which means "quilted" or "padded." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with a profession or trade related to the manufacture or sale of quilted or padded items, such as bedding or clothing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Colchado surname can be found in the archives of the city of Seville, Spain, dating back to the late 1400s. These records mention a certain Juan Colchado, a skilled artisan who specialized in the production of quilted blankets and other textiles.
The Colchado name also appears in several historical documents from the region of Andalusia, Spain, particularly in the provinces of Seville and Cadiz. It is possible that the surname was initially concentrated in these areas before spreading to other parts of the country and eventually beyond Spanish borders.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Colchado surname gained prominence in various parts of the Spanish Empire, including the Americas. Notable individuals bearing this name include:
1. Diego Colchado (c. 1530-1590), a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru under Francisco Pizarro.
2. Francisca Colchado (c. 1560-1630), a Spanish settler in New Spain (present-day Mexico) who was among the founders of the town of San Miguel de Allende.
3. Pedro Colchado (c. 1580-1650), a Spanish missionary who worked in the Philippines and is credited with establishing several missions in the region.
4. Juana Colchado (c. 1620-1690), a renowned lace maker from Seville whose intricate designs were highly sought after throughout Europe.
5. Tomás Colchado (c. 1670-1745), a Spanish military officer who served in the Spanish colonies of Florida and Louisiana.
While the Colchado surname has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including Latin America, where it can be found in countries such as Mexico, Argentina, and Chile. However, the historical records and references mentioned above provide a glimpse into the early origins and evolution of this distinctive surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Colchado
Among Census respondents with the surname Colchado, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.6%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Colchado 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 Colchado surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino96.6% · 1,037
- White2.4% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 6
- Two or more races0.5% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Colchado
Colchado 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
#34,465
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 657
+270 bearers (+69.8%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Up 16,221 places
2020
#24,300
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,074
+417 bearers (+63.5%)
Per 100,000 0.36
Rank movement Up 10,165 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #50,686 | 387 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #34,465 | 657 | 0.22 | +270 bearers (+69.8%) | Up 16,221 places |
| 2020 | #24,300 | 1,074 | 0.36 | +417 bearers (+63.5%) | Up 10,165 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 Colchado 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 | #34,465 | #24,300 | 29.5% |
| Count | 657 | 1,074 | 63.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.36 | 63.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Colchado bearers went from 657 to 1,074 (+63.5% change). The surname moved up 10,165 positions in the national ranking, going from #34,465 to #24,300.
FAQ
Colchado surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Colchado?
Name Census estimates that about 1,232 living Americans carry the surname Colchado. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 278,210 residents.
How common is Colchado?
Colchado ranks #24,300 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.36 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 1,074 people with the surname Colchado. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,232), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.36 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 Colchado.
Has Colchado become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Colchado went from 657 recorded bearers to 1,074. That is an increase of 417 (+63.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #34,465 to #24,300.
What does the Census say about the background of Colchado?
Among Census respondents with the surname Colchado, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 96.6%. The next largest groups are White (2.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.6%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Colchado in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (1,037 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Colchado appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (96.6%), White (2.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.6%). 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 Colchado (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 Colchado mean?
A surname derived from the Spanish word "colchado," meaning quilted or padded. 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 Colchado (0.36 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 have the last name Colchado?
See how many people are called Colchado on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.