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

Collier, 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 Collier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Collier in America

Collier is the 599th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Collier surname appeared 56,380 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 19 people would have the surname Collier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Collier 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 Collier

The surname Collier originated in medieval England, derived from the Old French word "collier," meaning a coal miner or seller of coal. The name first appeared in records in the 12th century, reflecting the growing importance of the coal industry during that time.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Collier surname was found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1199, where a Robert le Collier was mentioned. The name also appeared in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record that listed landowners in various counties across England.

In the 13th and 14th centuries, the Colliers were most prominent in the coal-mining regions of Northumberland, Durham, and Yorkshire. The name was often associated with specific locations, such as Collier's Wood in Nottinghamshire and Collier Street in Kent.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landholdings in England compiled in 1086, does not contain the Collier surname directly. However, it does mention several places with names related to coal mining, such as Colne in Lancashire and Coaley in Gloucestershire, which may have been the origins of some Collier families.

One of the earliest known Colliers of note was Sir Robert Collier (c. 1305-1368), a member of the English Parliament and a landowner in Nottinghamshire. Another prominent Collier was John Collier (c. 1492-1537), a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake for his religious beliefs during the reign of King Henry VIII.

In the 16th century, the Collier surname spread across England, with families establishing themselves in various regions, including London, where a John Collier (c. 1550-1622) became a successful merchant and alderman.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, several Colliers made significant contributions to various fields. These included Giles Collier (1622-1668), a renowned theological writer, and Arthur Collier (1680-1732), a philosopher and metaphysician.

In the 19th century, notable Colliers included John Collier (1789-1879), a British writer and critic, and John Payne Collier (1789-1883), a Shakespeare scholar and literary forger whose controversial work sparked debates about literary authenticity.

Throughout its history, the Collier surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including artists, writers, politicians, and academics, reflecting the diverse occupations and roles of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Collier

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

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

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

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