2000
#10,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,906
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.08
Rare Last name
Collings
Derived from a place name meaning "the descendant of Colin" or "settlement of Colin's people" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,537 Americans carry the last name Collings. That puts it at #9,986 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 96,905 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Collings 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Collings with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 96,905
Census rank
#9,986
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,084 bearers of the surname Collings in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9986th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Collings, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Collings
The surname COLLINGS has its origins in England, likely emerging in the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Old English word "coll," meaning "coal," and the suffix "-ing," which denotes a patronymic or occupational name. This suggests that the name initially referred to someone who worked with coal, such as a coal miner or merchant.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval records from various parts of England. One notable example is the appearance of William Collyng in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327. The surname also appears in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379, with the spelling "Colyng."
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Colling, Collings, and Collinges. This variation in spelling was common during this period due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions. One example is John Collinges, who was recorded in the Parish Registers of Shropshire in 1598.
The surname COLLINGS may also be linked to certain place names in England, such as Collingbourne in Wiltshire or Collington in Somerset. These place names likely derived from the Old English words "coll" and "tun," meaning "coal town" or "coal settlement."
Historically, the name COLLINGS has been associated with several notable individuals. One such person was William Collings (1675-1743), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of planetary motion and published works on navigation.
Another notable figure was Jesse Collings (1831-1920), an English politician and activist who advocated for workers' rights and land reform. He served as a Member of Parliament and played a significant role in the establishment of allotments for agricultural workers.
In the literary realm, David Collings (1940-2003) was a British actor renowned for his portrayal of Gandalf in the BBC radio adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" in the 1980s.
Samuel Collings (1690-1765) was an English Presbyterian minister and author who wrote on religious topics, including a commentary on the Book of Revelation.
John Collings (1808-1879) was a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, such as the Ipswich Railway Station and the Church of St. Matthew in Bethnal Green.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Collings
Among Census respondents with the surname Collings, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Collings 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 Collings surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 2,696
- Black or African American4.5% · 139
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 108
- Two or more races3.2% · 99
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Collings
Collings 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
#10,411
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,093
+187 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 1.05
Rank movement Down 225 places
2020
#9,986
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,084
-9 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Up 425 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,186 | 2,906 | 1.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,411 | 3,093 | 1.05 | +187 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 225 places |
| 2020 | #9,986 | 3,084 | 1.03 | -9 bearers (-0.3%) | Up 425 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 Collings 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 | #10,411 | #9,986 | 4.1% |
| Count | 3,093 | 3,084 | -0.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.05 | 1.03 | -1.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Collings bearers went from 3,093 to 3,084 (-0.3% change). The surname moved up 425 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,411 to #9,986.
FAQ
Collings surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Collings?
Name Census estimates that about 3,537 living Americans carry the surname Collings. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 96,905 residents.
How common is Collings?
Collings ranks #9,986 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,084 people with the surname Collings. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,537), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Collings.
Has Collings become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Collings went from 3,093 recorded bearers to 3,084. That is a decrease of 9 (-0.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #10,411 to #9,986.
What does the Census say about the background of Collings?
Among Census respondents with the surname Collings, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Black (4.5%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Collings in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (2,696 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Collings appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Black (4.5%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Collings (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 Collings mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "the descendant of Colin" or "settlement of Colin's people" in Old English. 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 Collings (1.03 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 common is the surname Collings?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Collings on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.