2000
#9,882
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,013
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.12
Rare Last name
Collis
Derived from a place name meaning "hill" in Old English, or from the Greek word for "citadel."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,390 Americans carry the last name Collis. That puts it at #10,363 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 101,107 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Collis 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 Collis with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 101,107
Census rank
#10,363
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,956 bearers of the surname Collis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10363rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Collis, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Collis
The surname Collis originates from England and is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "col," meaning a charcoal burner or a person who worked with charcoal. This occupation was prevalent in areas with extensive woodlands, where charcoal production was a significant industry.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Coll" and "Colle." This ancient record suggests that the name was already established in various parts of England during the Norman Conquest.
Over time, the name evolved into various spellings, including Collis, Colles, and Collys. These variations were influenced by regional dialects and the scribes' interpretations of the name's pronunciation. The spelling "Collis" became more widely adopted and is considered the modern standardized form.
One notable bearer of the Collis surname was Sir John Collis (1623-1690), an English landowner and Member of Parliament for Wigan during the reign of King Charles II. Another prominent figure was Daniel Collis (1761-1835), a British soldier who served in the Napoleonic Wars and received the Army Gold Cross for his bravery.
In the United States, the name Collis can be traced back to the early colonial period. One of the earliest recorded instances was John Collis, who arrived in Virginia in 1635. Another early bearer was William Collis, who settled in Pennsylvania in 1682.
A notable American with this surname was Charles Henry Collis (1838-1901), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Philadelphia. He made significant contributions to educational institutions and was widely respected for his civic engagement.
Additionally, the Collis surname is associated with several place names in England, such as Collis Farm in Gloucestershire and Collis Lane in Warwickshire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the Collis surname who resided in or owned land in those areas.
Throughout history, the Collis surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, soldiers, businessmen, and public figures. While its origins can be traced back to a specific occupation, the name has transcended its occupational roots and become a well-established surname in both England and other parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Collis
Among Census respondents with the surname Collis, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Collis 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 Collis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 2,529
- Black or African American5.3% · 158
- Two or more races4.0% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 110
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Collis
Collis 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
#10,150
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,178
+165 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 1.08
Rank movement Down 268 places
2020
#10,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,956
-222 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 213 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,882 | 3,013 | 1.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,150 | 3,178 | 1.08 | +165 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 268 places |
| 2020 | #10,363 | 2,956 | 0.99 | -222 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 213 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 Collis 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 | #10,150 | #10,363 | -2.1% |
| Count | 3,178 | 2,956 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.08 | 0.99 | -8.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Collis bearers went from 3,178 to 2,956 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 213 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,150 to #10,363.
FAQ
Collis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Collis?
Name Census estimates that about 3,390 living Americans carry the surname Collis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 101,107 residents.
How common is Collis?
Collis ranks #10,363 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 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 2,956 people with the surname Collis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,390), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 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 Collis.
Has Collis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Collis went from 3,178 recorded bearers to 2,956. That is a decrease of 222 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,150 to #10,363.
What does the Census say about the background of Collis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Collis, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Collis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (2,529 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Collis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Black (5.3%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Collis (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 Collis mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "hill" in Old English, or from the Greek word for "citadel." 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 Collis (0.99 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 Collis?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.