2000
#12,343
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,309
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Colonna
An Italian toponymic surname referring to a person who lived near or on a column or pillar.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,690 Americans carry the last name Colonna. That puts it at #12,584 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 127,418 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Colonna 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
2.7K
1 in 127,418
Census rank
#12,584
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,346 bearers of the surname Colonna in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12584th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Colonna, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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 The name also appears in various historical documents and records from the 13th century onwards, such as papal bulls, chronicles, and legal documents.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Colonna
Among Census respondents with the surname Colonna, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Colonna 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 Colonna surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 2,136
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 128
- Two or more races2.0% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 20
- Black or African American0.5% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Colonna
Colonna 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
#13,010
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,359
+50 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 667 places
2020
#12,584
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,346
-13 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 426 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,343 | 2,309 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,010 | 2,359 | 0.80 | +50 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 667 places |
| 2020 | #12,584 | 2,346 | 0.78 | -13 bearers (-0.6%) | Up 426 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 Colonna 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 | #13,010 | #12,584 | 3.3% |
| Count | 2,359 | 2,346 | -0.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.78 | -1.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Colonna bearers went from 2,359 to 2,346 (-0.6% change). The surname moved up 426 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,010 to #12,584.
FAQ
Colonna surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Colonna?
Name Census estimates that about 2,690 living Americans carry the surname Colonna. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 127,418 residents.
How common is Colonna?
Colonna ranks #12,584 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 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 2,346 people with the surname Colonna. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,690), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 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 Colonna.
Has Colonna become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Colonna went from 2,359 recorded bearers to 2,346. That is a decrease of 13 (-0.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,010 to #12,584.
What does the Census say about the background of Colonna?
Among Census respondents with the surname Colonna, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Colonna in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (2,136 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Colonna appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (5.5%), Two or More Races (2.0%). 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 Colonna (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 Colonna mean?
An Italian toponymic surname referring to a person who lived near or on a column or pillar. 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 Colonna (0.78 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 Colonna?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.