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

Colonna, 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 Colonna surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Colonna in America

Colonna is the 13010th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Colonna surname appeared 2,359 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 Colonna.

We can also compare 2010 data for Colonna 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 Colonna

The surname Colonna originated in Italy during the medieval period. It is derived from the Italian word "colonna," meaning "column" or "pillar." The name is believed to have been adopted by a noble family from Rome, who may have taken their name from a prominent column or pillar in the city.

The Colonna family was one of the most influential and powerful noble families in Rome and the Papal States during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. They were rivals of the Orsini family, another prominent Roman noble family. The Colonnas played a significant role in the political and religious affairs of Rome and the Papal States, often holding important positions within the Church and the Papal government.

One of the earliest recorded references to the Colonna name can be found in the "Liber Censuum," a manuscript dating back to the 12th century, which mentions a member of the Colonna family named Odone Colonna. The name also appears in various historical documents and records from the 13th century onwards, such as papal bulls, chronicles, and legal documents.

Some notable individuals with the surname Colonna include:

1. Giacomo Colonna (c. 1260 - 1329), a Roman nobleman and military leader who served as a senator of Rome and fought against the Guelph faction during the conflicts between the Guelphs and Ghibellines in Italy.

2. Vittoria Colonna (1490 - 1547), an Italian poet and prominent figure of the Renaissance, known for her literary works and her close friendship with Michelangelo.

3. Marcantonio Colonna (1535 - 1584), an Italian naval commander who led the papal and Spanish fleets to victory against the Ottoman Turks at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571.

4. Girolamo Colonna (1604 - 1666), an Italian nobleman and military leader who served as a general in the army of the Papal States and fought against the Turks and other enemies of the Church.

5. Prospero Colonna (1452 - 1523), an Italian condottiero (mercenary commander) and member of the Colonna family, who fought in various conflicts in Italy during the Renaissance period.

The Colonna family also held various titles and possessions throughout Italy, including the Duchy of Paliano and the Principality of Palestrina. The name is still in use today, primarily in Italy, but also in other parts of the world where Italian immigrants have settled.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Colonna

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Colonna, 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!