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

Colf, 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 Colf surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Colf in America

Colf is the 70208th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Colf surname appeared 279 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 Colf.

We can also compare 2010 data for Colf 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 Colf

The surname Colf is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word 'col', meaning 'coal' or 'charcoal'. This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who worked with coal or charcoal, such as a charcoal burner or a blacksmith.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Colf can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were census-like records compiled in England during the reign of King Edward I. In these rolls, a man named John Colf is mentioned as residing in Bedfordshire.

Over the centuries, the name Colf has undergone various spelling variations, including Colfe, Colff, and Colfe. These variations may have arisen due to regional dialects or scribal errors in record-keeping.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Colf was Sir John Colf, a wealthy merchant and landowner in Kent. He was involved in the establishment of Colf's Grammar School, now known as Colfes School, in Lewisham, London, which was founded in 1637 as a free grammar school for boys.

Another significant individual with the surname Colf was Abraham Colf, a Dutch-American farmer and soldier who lived from 1670 to 1756. He served in the military during the colonial era and was involved in the defense of Albany, New York, during the French and Indian War.

In the late 18th century, William Colf, born in 1784, was a prominent figure in the anti-slavery movement in England. He was a vocal advocate for the abolition of the slave trade and worked alongside notable abolitionists like William Wilberforce.

Moving into the 19th century, Mary Colf (1820-1895) was a renowned English novelist and poet. Her works often explored themes of social injustice and the plight of women in Victorian society.

Finally, in the early 20th century, Sir Edward Colf (1875-1947) was a British diplomat and politician who served as the Governor of British Guiana (now Guyana) from 1920 to 1925.

While the surname Colf is not exceptionally common today, it holds a rich history that spans several centuries and continents, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and occupations of those who carried this name throughout the ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Colf

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

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

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

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