2000
#7,609
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,028
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.49
Rare Last name
Colman
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic byname "Colmán," meaning "little dove" or "descendant of Colmán."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,255 Americans carry the last name Colman. That puts it at #8,519 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 80,553 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Colman 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 Colman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 80,553
Census rank
#8,519
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,711 bearers of the surname Colman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8519th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Colman, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.4%. The next largest groups are Black (17.5%) and Hispanic (9.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Colman
Among Census respondents with the surname Colman, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.4%. The next largest groups are Black (17.5%) and Hispanic (9.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Colman 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 Colman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.4% · 2,503
- Black or African American17.5% · 650
- Hispanic or Latino9.9% · 368
- Two or more races3.3% · 124
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Colman
Colman 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
#8,435
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,916
-112 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Down 826 places
2020
#8,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,711
-205 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 1.24
Rank movement Down 84 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,609 | 4,028 | 1.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,435 | 3,916 | 1.33 | -112 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 826 places |
| 2020 | #8,519 | 3,711 | 1.24 | -205 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 84 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 Colman 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 | #8,435 | #8,519 | -1.0% |
| Count | 3,916 | 3,711 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.33 | 1.24 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Colman bearers went from 3,916 to 3,711 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 84 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,435 to #8,519.
FAQ
Colman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Colman?
Name Census estimates that about 4,255 living Americans carry the surname Colman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 80,553 residents.
How common is Colman?
Colman ranks #8,519 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.24 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 3,711 people with the surname Colman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,255), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.24 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 Colman.
Has Colman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Colman went from 3,916 recorded bearers to 3,711. That is a decrease of 205 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,435 to #8,519.
What does the Census say about the background of Colman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Colman, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.4%. The next largest groups are Black (17.5%) and Hispanic (9.9%). 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 Colman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.4% (2,503 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Colman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.4%), Black (17.5%), Hispanic (9.9%). 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 Colman (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 Colman mean?
A surname of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic byname "Colmán," meaning "little dove" or "descendant of Colmán." 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 Colman (1.24 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 share the surname Colman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.