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

Colelay, 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 Colelay surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Colelay in America

Colelay is the 120901st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Colelay surname appeared 143 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Colelay.

We can also compare 2010 data for Colelay 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 Colelay

The surname Colelay finds its origins in England, emerging in the late medieval period around the 14th century. It is believed to have derived from a combination of the Old English words "col" meaning coal or charcoal, and "leah" signifying a meadow or clearing, suggesting a connection to an area or settlement where charcoal burning took place.

One of the earliest documented references to the name can be found in the Lancashire Inquests of 1311, which mentions a John de Colley. This early spelling variation, Colley, is thought to be closely related to the modern form of Colelay. Additionally, records from the Yorkshire Poll Tax of 1379 list a Thomas Colelay, providing evidence of the surname's use during that era.

In the 16th century, the Colelay surname appeared in the parish records of Staffordshire, where a John Colelay was recorded in the baptismal registers of Eccleshall in 1592. This region is believed to have been a prominent area for families bearing the name during that time period.

The name Colelay has also been associated with various place names, such as Colley Gate near Codnor in Derbyshire, and Colley Brook in Staffordshire, lending credence to the theory that the surname originated from a specific geographic location.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Colelay surname. One such figure was Robert Colelay (1570-1635), an English clergyman and writer who served as a chaplain to King Charles I. Another was John Colelay (1685-1756), a prominent landowner and magistrate in Gloucestershire.

In the 18th century, the name gained recognition with the birth of William Colelay (1737-1809), a successful merchant and philanthropist from Bristol. His son, Thomas Colelay (1768-1842), followed in his footsteps and became a respected banker and member of parliament for the city.

The 19th century saw the emergence of Mary Ann Colelay (1825-1892), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded several schools for girls in London and campaigned for educational reform.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Colelay

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

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

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

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