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

Colman, 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 Colman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Colman in America

Colman is the 8435th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Colman surname appeared 3,916 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Colman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Colman 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 Colman

The surname Colman is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word 'colman', which means 'coal-man' or 'charcoal burner'. This occupational surname was initially given to individuals who worked in the coal or charcoal industry.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Colman can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a person named Richard Colman is mentioned. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to individuals bearing this surname, such as William Colman in Oxfordshire and Robert Colman in Cambridgeshire.

In the 14th century, the name Colman appeared in various forms, including Colemanne, Colman, and Colemon. This variation in spelling was common during that time due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 list a John Colman from Cambridgeshire, while the Poll Tax Returns of 1379 mention a William Colman from Yorkshire.

The surname Colman has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded was Walter Colman (c. 1290-1340), a prominent English judge and Chief Baron of the Exchequer during the reign of Edward III. Another historical figure was George Colman the Elder (1732-1794), an English dramatist and writer best known for his comedies and sentimental plays.

In the 19th century, Jeremiah James Colman (1830-1898) founded the famous Colman's Mustard company in Norfolk, England. His son, Sir Jeremiah Colman (1859-1942), continued to expand the family business and was also a respected philanthropist and art collector.

Additionally, Benjamin Colman (1673-1747) was an influential American minister and educator who helped establish the Collegiate School, which later became Yale University. Samuel Colman (1832-1920) was an American painter known for his landscape paintings, particularly those depicting the American West.

Throughout its history, the surname Colman has been associated with various locations, including Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Yorkshire, and Norfolk in England, as well as areas in the United States. While the spelling has evolved over time, the name retains its connection to the coal or charcoal industry, reflecting the occupational origins of this English surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Colman

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!