2000
#14,370
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,910
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Coldiron
A surname referring to a person who worked with cold iron or was an ironworker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,191 Americans carry the last name Coldiron. That puts it at #14,878 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 156,437 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coldiron 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
2.2K
1 in 156,437
Census rank
#14,878
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,911 bearers of the surname Coldiron in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14878th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coldiron, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coldiron
The surname Coldiron has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "cald" meaning "cold" and "iren" meaning "iron," suggesting a connection to a person who worked with cold iron, perhaps a blacksmith or metalworker.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire, a census-like record compiled in 1273. Here, the name is spelled "Calderon," which is believed to be an early variant of the modern spelling.
During the medieval period, the name appeared in various forms, including Caldyron, Caldiron, and Cauldyron, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations common at the time. These variations often stemmed from the pronunciation and interpretation of the scribes who recorded the names.
In the 16th century, the name was found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire. One notable entry is the burial record of William Coldiron, dated 1587.
The Coldiron name has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. In the 17th century, John Coldiron (1624-1688) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol. His son, William Coldiron (1659-1721), followed in his footsteps and became a successful trader and ship owner.
During the American Revolutionary War, Jacob Coldiron (1745-1823) served as a private in the Virginia Militia, participating in several battles against the British forces. His service is documented in the Revolutionary War pension records.
In the 19th century, Samuel Coldiron (1812-1892) was a respected educator and author, known for his contributions to the field of mathematics education. He published several influential textbooks and served as the principal of a prestigious academy in Ohio.
Another notable figure was Mary Coldiron (1876-1962), a pioneer in the field of nursing education. She was instrumental in establishing nursing programs in several colleges and universities across the United States, helping to professionalize the field.
While the surname Coldiron originated in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, often carried by descendants of early English settlers and immigrants.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coldiron
Among Census respondents with the surname Coldiron, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Coldiron 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 Coldiron surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 1,751
- Two or more races4.2% · 80
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 66
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 5
- Black or African American0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coldiron
Coldiron 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
#14,920
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,984
+74 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 550 places
2020
#14,878
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,911
-73 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Up 42 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,370 | 1,910 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,920 | 1,984 | 0.67 | +74 bearers (+3.9%) | Down 550 places |
| 2020 | #14,878 | 1,911 | 0.64 | -73 bearers (-3.7%) | Up 42 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 Coldiron 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 | #14,920 | #14,878 | 0.3% |
| Count | 1,984 | 1,911 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.67 | 0.64 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coldiron bearers went from 1,984 to 1,911 (-3.7% change). The surname moved up 42 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,920 to #14,878.
FAQ
Coldiron surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coldiron?
Name Census estimates that about 2,191 living Americans carry the surname Coldiron. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 156,437 residents.
How common is Coldiron?
Coldiron ranks #14,878 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,911 people with the surname Coldiron. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,191), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Coldiron.
Has Coldiron become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coldiron went from 1,984 recorded bearers to 1,911. That is a decrease of 73 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,920 to #14,878.
What does the Census say about the background of Coldiron?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coldiron, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Coldiron in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (1,751 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coldiron appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Coldiron (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 Coldiron mean?
A surname referring to a person who worked with cold iron or was an ironworker. 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 Coldiron (0.64 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 Coldiron?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.