2000
#8,607
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,518
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.30
Rare Last name
Collum
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Columáin," meaning "son of Colmán," a personal name meaning "little dove."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,784 Americans carry the last name Collum. That puts it at #9,434 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 90,580 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Collum 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 Collum with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 90,580
Census rank
#9,434
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,300 bearers of the surname Collum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9434th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Collum, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Collum
The surname COLLUM is of English origin, with roots dating back to the early medieval period, specifically the 11th and 12th centuries. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "col," meaning "coal" or "charcoal," and was likely a descriptive name for someone who worked with coal or lived near a coal mine.
Early records show variations in spelling, including Colle, Coll, and Colle, reflecting the evolving nature of surnames during that time. One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Norfolk from 1199, where it is recorded as "Ricardus Colle."
The name COLLUM is also closely associated with certain geographical locations in England, particularly in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk. For instance, the village of Collum is situated in Norfolk, and it is likely that some individuals bearing the surname COLLUM originated from or had connections to this area.
Among the notable historical figures with the surname COLLUM, one can mention John Collum (c. 1520-1595), an English Protestant reformer and clergyman who served as the Dean of Lincoln Cathedral from 1586 until his death. Another prominent individual was Sir Henry Collum (1628-1701), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Norfolk in the late 17th century.
In the literary realm, the name COLLUM is associated with Samuel Collum (1745-1810), an Irish poet and playwright who wrote several works, including "The Faithful Paddy" and "The Lame Millionaire." Additionally, there was William Collum (1810-1880), an English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Church of St. Saviour's in Pimlico.
Another individual of note was Thomas Collum (1844-1917), a British civil engineer who played a crucial role in the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal, a major engineering feat of the late 19th century.
The surname COLLUM continues to be found throughout various parts of the world, particularly in areas with strong English heritage, but its roots can be traced back to the early medieval period in England, where it originated as a descriptive name for those involved in the coal or charcoal trade.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Collum
Among Census respondents with the surname Collum, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Collum 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 Collum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.5% · 2,854
- Black or African American5.3% · 176
- Two or more races4.8% · 158
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 64
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Collum
Collum 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
#9,144
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,568
+50 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 537 places
2020
#9,434
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,300
-268 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Down 290 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,607 | 3,518 | 1.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,144 | 3,568 | 1.21 | +50 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 537 places |
| 2020 | #9,434 | 3,300 | 1.10 | -268 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 290 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 Collum 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 | #9,144 | #9,434 | -3.2% |
| Count | 3,568 | 3,300 | -7.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.21 | 1.10 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Collum bearers went from 3,568 to 3,300 (-7.5% change). The surname moved down 290 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,144 to #9,434.
FAQ
Collum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Collum?
Name Census estimates that about 3,784 living Americans carry the surname Collum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 90,580 residents.
How common is Collum?
Collum ranks #9,434 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.10 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 3,300 people with the surname Collum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,784), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.10 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 Collum.
Has Collum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Collum went from 3,568 recorded bearers to 3,300. That is a decrease of 268 (-7.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,144 to #9,434.
What does the Census say about the background of Collum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Collum, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Collum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.5% (2,854 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Collum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.5%), Black (5.3%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Collum (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 Collum mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Mac Columáin," meaning "son of Colmán," a personal name meaning "little dove." 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 Collum (1.10 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 Collum?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.