2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Collea
From an Italian place name meaning "hill" or "knoll".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Collea. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Collea 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Collea in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Collea, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.2%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Collea
The surname COLLEA is of Italian origin and can be traced back to the late medieval period in the regions of Lombardy and Veneto. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "collis," meaning "hill" or "slope," likely referring to a person who lived near or on a hillside.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name COLLEA can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval charters and documents from the Monastery of Cava de' Tirreni in Campania, dating back to the 11th century. The name appears in several entries, indicating its presence in the region during that time.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the surname COLLEA was Guglielmo Collea, a renowned jurist and legal scholar from the city of Padua. He authored several influential works on Roman law and was highly regarded in his field.
Another historical figure of note was Francesco Collea, a prominent painter from the Venetian Renaissance period, born in 1498 in Venice. He is best known for his religious frescoes adorning various churches in the region.
During the 15th century, the name COLLEA was also found in the records of the Republic of Genoa, where a family bearing this surname held significant influence in the city's affairs. One member, Giacomo Collea, served as a respected diplomat and ambassador to several European courts.
In the annals of the Spanish Inquisition, the name COLLEA appears in connection with a family of Conversos, or converted Jews, who faced persecution during the 16th century. Antonio Collea, born in 1532 in Seville, was a notable figure in this tragic chapter of history.
Over the centuries, variations of the name COLLEA emerged, such as Collèa, Collia, and Colia, reflecting regional linguistic differences across Italy. Some of these variations were also associated with specific place names, such as the town of Collia in the province of Viterbo.
While the surname COLLEA may not be as widespread as some other Italian names, it has left an indelible mark on history, with notable individuals contributing to various fields, from law and art to diplomacy and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Collea
Among Census respondents with the surname Collea, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.2%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Collea 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 Collea surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino10.2% · 12
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Collea
Collea 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+15 bearers (+15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,295 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 630 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+15.0%) | Up 6,295 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 630 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 Collea 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 | #144,141 | #143,511 | 0.4% |
| Count | 115 | 118 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Collea bearers went from 115 to 118 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 630 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #143,511.
FAQ
Collea surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Collea?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Collea. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Collea?
Collea ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Collea. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Collea.
Has Collea become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Collea went from 115 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 3 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #144,141 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Collea?
Among Census respondents with the surname Collea, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.2%) and Black (1.7%). 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 Collea in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Collea appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Hispanic (10.2%), Black (1.7%). 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 Collea (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 Collea mean?
From an Italian place name meaning "hill" or "knoll". 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 Collea (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 surname Collea?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.