2000
#18,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,356
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.50
Rare Last name
Colmenares
Derived from the Spanish word "colmenar," referring to an apiary or a place where beehives are kept.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,147 Americans carry the last name Colmenares. That puts it at #11,060 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 108,915 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Colmenares 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.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 108,915
Census rank
#11,060
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,744 bearers of the surname Colmenares in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11060th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Colmenares, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Colmenares
The surname COLMENARES originated in Spain, likely emerging in the medieval period between the 5th and 15th centuries AD. It is derived from the Spanish word "colmenar," which refers to an apiary or a place where beehives are kept. This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with families or individuals involved in beekeeping or honey production.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the "Becerro de las Behetrías," a historical document from the 14th century that catalogued the estates and villages of Castile. The name COLMENARES appears in relation to various locations, indicating its presence in the region during that time.
The surname COLMENARES can also be traced to place names, such as the town of Colmenares de Oreja in the province of Guadalajara, Spain. This town's name is derived from the same root as the surname, reflecting the area's historical connection to beekeeping or apiaries.
Notable individuals with the surname COLMENARES include:
1. Antonio de Colmenares (1604-1651), a Spanish historian and writer who authored works on the history of Segovia and its region.
2. Diego de Colmenares (1516-1589), a Spanish mathematician and astronomer known for his contributions to the development of navigation techniques.
3. Juan de Colmenares (1589-1661), a Spanish painter active in the Baroque period, known for his religious and allegorical works.
4. María de Colmenares (c. 1500s), a Spanish woman recognized for her role in the colonization of Venezuela in the early 16th century.
5. Miguel de Colmenares (1547-1624), a Spanish Jesuit priest and missionary who worked in South America during the 17th century.
While the surname COLMENARES has its roots in Spain, it has since spread to other regions, including Latin America, due to Spanish colonization and migration. However, the origin and historical significance of the name remain firmly rooted in its Spanish heritage, with ties to beekeeping, place names, and notable individuals throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Colmenares
Among Census respondents with the surname Colmenares, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Colmenares 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 Colmenares surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino92.0% · 2,524
- White4.9% · 134
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 67
- Two or more races0.4% · 10
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Colmenares
Colmenares 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
#13,926
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,168
+812 bearers (+59.9%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Up 4,786 places
2020
#11,060
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,744
+576 bearers (+26.6%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Up 2,866 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,712 | 1,356 | 0.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,926 | 2,168 | 0.73 | +812 bearers (+59.9%) | Up 4,786 places |
| 2020 | #11,060 | 2,744 | 0.92 | +576 bearers (+26.6%) | Up 2,866 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 Colmenares 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 | #13,926 | #11,060 | 20.6% |
| Count | 2,168 | 2,744 | 26.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.92 | 25.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Colmenares bearers went from 2,168 to 2,744 (+26.6% change). The surname moved up 2,866 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,926 to #11,060.
FAQ
Colmenares surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Colmenares?
Name Census estimates that about 3,147 living Americans carry the surname Colmenares. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 108,915 residents.
How common is Colmenares?
Colmenares ranks #11,060 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.92 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 2,744 people with the surname Colmenares. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,147), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.92 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 Colmenares.
Has Colmenares become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Colmenares went from 2,168 recorded bearers to 2,744. That is an increase of 576 (+26.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,926 to #11,060.
What does the Census say about the background of Colmenares?
Among Census respondents with the surname Colmenares, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 92.0%. The next largest groups are White (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Colmenares in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (2,524 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Colmenares appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (92.0%), White (4.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.4%). 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 Colmenares (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 Colmenares mean?
Derived from the Spanish word "colmenar," referring to an apiary or a place where beehives are kept. 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 Colmenares (0.92 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 are called Colmenares?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Colmenares on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.