2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Colombel
A French surname derived from the word "colombel", meaning "little dove".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Colombel. 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 Colombel 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 Colombel 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 Colombel, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.8%. The next largest groups are Black (28.7%) and Two or More Races (12.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Colombel
The surname Colombel originated in France during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "colombel," which means "young dove" or "young pigeon." This name likely emerged as a nickname for someone who displayed characteristics associated with doves, such as gentleness or gracefulness.
Colombel is most commonly associated with the Normandy region of northern France, where it first appeared in records dating back to the 11th century. The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a Robertus Colombel among the landowners in Normandy.
During the Middle Ages, the name Colombel spread across various parts of France, including the regions of Brittany, Anjou, and Poitou. Its spelling variations included Coulombel, Coulombell, and Coulombelle, reflecting the diverse dialects and regional influences of the time.
In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name Colombel was Robert Colombel, a prominent Norman knight who participated in the Seventh Crusade (1248-1254) led by King Louis IX of France. Another historical reference comes from the 14th century, when a Guillaume Colombel served as a magistrate in the city of Rouen.
As the centuries passed, the Colombel name continued to appear in various historical records and manuscripts. In the 16th century, a Jean Colombel was a renowned jurist and legal scholar who authored several influential treatises on French law.
Other notable individuals with the surname Colombel include:
1. Pierre Colombel (1609-1670), a French Benedictine monk and theologian known for his scholarly works on theology and philosophy.
2. Jacques Colombel (1640-1718), a French architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the city of Paris.
3. Nicolas Colombel (1744-1811), a French revolutionary and politician who served as a deputy in the National Convention during the French Revolution.
4. Auguste Colombel (1808-1888), a French writer and poet who published several collections of poems and literary works.
5. Émile Colombel (1857-1920), a French artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraiture, particularly depicting scenes from Normandy.
While the Colombel surname has its roots in medieval France, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including Belgium, Canada, and the United States, as descendants of the original French families immigrated and established new lives abroad.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Colombel
Among Census respondents with the surname Colombel, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.8%. The next largest groups are Black (28.7%) and Two or More Races (12.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Colombel 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 Colombel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White47.8% · 55
- Black or African American28.7% · 33
- Two or more races12.2% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino9.6% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Colombel
Colombel 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+5 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,384 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+8 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,871 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 4,384 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.5%) | Up 6,871 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 Colombel 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 | #152,628 | #145,757 | 4.5% |
| Count | 107 | 115 | 7.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Colombel bearers went from 107 to 115 (+7.5% change). The surname moved up 6,871 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #145,757.
FAQ
Colombel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Colombel?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Colombel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Colombel?
Colombel 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 Colombel. 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 Colombel.
Has Colombel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Colombel went from 107 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 8 (+7.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Colombel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Colombel, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.8%. The next largest groups are Black (28.7%) and Two or More Races (12.2%). 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 Colombel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.8% (55 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Colombel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (47.8%), Black (28.7%), Two or More Races (12.2%). 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 Colombel (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 Colombel mean?
A French surname derived from the word "colombel", 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 Colombel (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 have the last name Colombel?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Colombel on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.