2000
#106,477
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 155
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Colfax
A locational surname meaning "hill with a gap" or "cold ridge".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 194 Americans carry the last name Colfax. That puts it at #110,961 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,766,775 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Colfax 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
194
1 in 1,766,775
Census rank
#110,961
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
169
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 169 bearers of the surname Colfax in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 110961st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Colfax, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (17.8%) and Two or More Races (10.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Colfax
The surname Colfax has its origins in England and dates back to the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English words "col" meaning coal, and "fax" meaning hair or tresses, likely referring to someone with coal-black hair. The name was initially associated with the village of Colfax in Nottinghamshire.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, the earliest known written record of the name, it is spelled "Colfacc". This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and properties across England.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Colfax was Sir Robert Colfax, born in 1254 in Nottinghamshire. He was a prominent landowner and served as a knight under King Edward I during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
Another notable figure was William Colfax, born in 1450 in Colfax, Nottinghamshire. He was a respected scholar and author, known for his works on religious philosophy during the late medieval period.
In the 16th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, including "Colfaxe" and "Colphax", reflecting the inconsistencies in English spelling at the time. One bearer of the name was Sir John Colfax, born in 1542 in Derbyshire, who served as a military commander during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
The name Colfax also has connections to the United States. Schuyler Colfax, born in 1823 in New York, was a prominent politician who served as the 17th Vice President of the United States under President Ulysses S. Grant from 1869 to 1873.
Another American with the surname Colfax was Bethel Colfax, born in 1855 in Ohio. She was a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, recognized for her efforts in promoting educational opportunities for women in the late 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Colfax
Among Census respondents with the surname Colfax, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (17.8%) and Two or More Races (10.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Colfax 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 Colfax surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.5% · 114
- American Indian and Alaska Native17.8% · 30
- Two or more races10.7% · 18
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 5
- Black or African American0.6% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Colfax
Colfax 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
#99,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 181
+26 bearers (+16.8%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 6,632 places
2020
#110,961
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 169
-12 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 11,116 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #106,477 | 155 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #99,845 | 181 | 0.06 | +26 bearers (+16.8%) | Up 6,632 places |
| 2020 | #110,961 | 169 | 0.06 | -12 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 11,116 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 Colfax 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 | #99,845 | #110,961 | -11.1% |
| Count | 181 | 169 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Colfax bearers went from 181 to 169 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 11,116 positions in the national ranking, going from #99,845 to #110,961.
FAQ
Colfax surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Colfax?
Name Census estimates that about 194 living Americans carry the surname Colfax. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,766,775 residents.
How common is Colfax?
Colfax ranks #110,961 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 169 people with the surname Colfax. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (194), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Colfax.
Has Colfax become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Colfax went from 181 recorded bearers to 169. That is a decrease of 12 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #99,845 to #110,961.
What does the Census say about the background of Colfax?
Among Census respondents with the surname Colfax, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.5%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (17.8%) and Two or More Races (10.7%). 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 Colfax in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.5% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Colfax appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (17.8%), Two or More Races (10.7%). 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 Colfax (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 Colfax mean?
A locational surname meaning "hill with a gap" or "cold ridge". 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 Colfax (0.06 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 Colfax?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Colfax on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.