2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Colhouer
An English variant of the French surname Colhouwer, meaning "a plower of land".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Colhouer. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Colhouer 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Colhouer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Colhouer, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Colhouer
The surname COLHOUER is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the late 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "col" meaning coal and "huer" meaning a person who works with or mines coal, essentially translating to "coal miner" or "collier."
In the Domesday Book, a survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are several entries for individuals with similar surnames such as "Colier" and "Coliare," which are considered early variations of COLHOUER. These entries suggest that the name was already in use during the Norman period, possibly referring to individuals who were employed in the coal mining industry.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was John COLHOUER, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1292. Another early record is that of William COLHOUER, who was listed in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1317.
In the 14th century, the surname COLHOUER appeared in various spellings, including "Colhougher," "Colhewer," and "Colhour," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. The name was particularly prevalent in areas with significant coal mining activities, such as Yorkshire, Lancashire, and Derbyshire.
A notable figure bearing the COLHOUER name was Sir John COLHOUER (1490-1557), a prominent landowner and Member of Parliament for Derbyshire during the reign of King Henry VIII. Another individual of note was Robert COLHOUER (1565-1628), a successful merchant and benefactor from Nottinghamshire.
Other historical records mention individuals with the COLHOUER surname, such as Thomas COLHOUER (1602-1678), a clergyman from Yorkshire, and Elizabeth COLHOUER (1720-1795), a published author from Lancashire.
Throughout its history, the surname COLHOUER has maintained a strong association with coal mining communities in England, reflecting the occupation and livelihood of its early bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Colhouer
Among Census respondents with the surname Colhouer, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Colhouer 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 Colhouer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.5% · 98
- Two or more races7.1% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Colhouer
Colhouer appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+6 bearers (+5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,815 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.7%) | Up 5,815 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 Colhouer 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 | #153,769 | #147,954 | 3.8% |
| Count | 106 | 112 | 5.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Colhouer bearers went from 106 to 112 (+5.7% change). The surname moved up 5,815 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #147,954.
FAQ
Colhouer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Colhouer?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Colhouer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Colhouer?
Colhouer ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 112 people with the surname Colhouer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Colhouer.
Has Colhouer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Colhouer went from 106 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 6 (+5.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Colhouer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Colhouer, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.1%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Colhouer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Colhouer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.5%), Two or More Races (7.1%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Colhouer (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 Colhouer mean?
An English variant of the French surname Colhouwer, meaning "a plower of land". 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 Colhouer (0.04 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 Colhouer?
See how many people are called Colhouer on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.