2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Colmery
A habitational surname derived from a place name in France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Colmery. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Colmery 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Colmery in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Colmery, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Colmery
The surname Colmery is of French origin, derived from the Old French word "colombe," meaning "dove" or "pigeon." It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of France, particularly in the provinces of Normandy and Picardy, during the 12th or 13th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the archives of the Abbey of Saint-Wandrille in Normandy, where a certain "Robertus de Columbariis" is mentioned in a document dated 1189. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with pigeon keeping or falconry, which were popular pursuits among the nobility during that period.
During the Middle Ages, the name Colmery appeared in various forms, such as "Colombier," "Coulombier," and "Coulomberie," reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. It is also possible that the name was influenced by the Latin word "columbarium," which referred to a place where pigeons or doves were kept.
In the 14th century, records show a Guillaume Colmery living in the village of Champeaux, near Paris. He is believed to have been a landowner and a member of the local gentry. Another notable figure was Jean Colmery, a merchant from Rouen, who was mentioned in a trade document from 1412.
As the name spread throughout France, it also found its way into other regions of Europe. In the 16th century, a certain Gerhard Colmery was a prominent scholar and theologian in Germany, renowned for his work on biblical exegesis.
During the 17th century, the name Colmery gained prominence in England, where it was likely introduced by French Huguenot refugees fleeing religious persecution. One notable figure from this period was Sir John Colmery (1620-1689), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who contributed to the rebuilding of several churches in London after the Great Fire of 1666.
In the 18th century, the Colmery family established itself in the French colony of Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti), where they owned several plantations. One of the most influential members of this branch was François Colmery (1745-1812), a wealthy planter and politician who served as a deputy in the French National Assembly during the Revolutionary period.
Throughout history, the name Colmery has been associated with a diverse range of professions, including academia, commerce, politics, and the military. However, its origins remain firmly rooted in the rural traditions of northern France, where the humble dove or pigeon played a significant role in the lives of the people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Colmery
Among Census respondents with the surname Colmery, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Colmery 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 Colmery surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.5% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Colmery
Colmery 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-10 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,732 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+9 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 8,012 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 19,732 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.5%) | Up 8,012 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 Colmery 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 | #153,769 | #145,757 | 5.2% |
| Count | 106 | 115 | 8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Colmery bearers went from 106 to 115 (+8.5% change). The surname moved up 8,012 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #145,757.
FAQ
Colmery surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Colmery?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Colmery. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Colmery?
Colmery ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 115 people with the surname Colmery. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Colmery.
Has Colmery become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Colmery went from 106 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 9 (+8.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Colmery?
Among Census respondents with the surname Colmery, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Colmery in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.5% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Colmery appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.5%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Colmery (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 Colmery mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name in France. 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 Colmery (0.04 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 Colmery?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Colmery at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.