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

Collett, 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 Collett surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Collett in America

Collett is the 4404th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Collett surname appeared 8,064 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Collett.

We can also compare 2010 data for Collett 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 Collett

The surname Collett originated in England during the early medieval period. It is derived from an Old French word, "colier," meaning "one who wears a collar." The name likely referred to a person who wore a distinctive collar, perhaps as part of a livery or uniform.

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a record of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conquer, there are several entries for individuals with the surname Collett or similar spellings, such as Colet and Collet. These entries indicate that the name was already established in various regions of the country by the late 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname is Robert Collett, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1201. Another early reference is to William Collet, who is listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275.

In the 13th and 14th centuries, the name appears in various records, often associated with places like Collett's Green in Oxfordshire and Collett's Hill in Gloucestershire. These place names likely derived from individuals with the surname Collett who lived or owned land in those areas.

Among notable individuals with the surname Collett throughout history are Sir Henry Collett (1569-1637), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Maldon. Robert Collett (1642-1722) was a celebrated English clockmaker and inventor, known for his contributions to the development of precision timekeeping.

In the 19th century, John Collett (1808-1890) was a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the Royal Holloway College in Egham, Surrey. William Collett (1857-1934) was a British businessman and philanthropist who founded the Collett Trust, which provided funding for educational and charitable initiatives.

Another notable figure was Sir Henry Collett (1846-1913), a British naval officer and explorer who served in the Royal Navy and led several expeditions to the Arctic regions. He was knighted for his contributions to geographical discoveries and exploration.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Collett

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

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

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

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