2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Colsher
An occupational surname originating from a Middle English term for a coal seller or charcoal burner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Colsher. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Colsher 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Colsher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Colsher, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Colsher
The surname COLSHER is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the county of Yorkshire, derived from the Old English words "col" meaning coal and "sher" meaning a cutter or shearer, suggesting an occupational name for a coal miner or coal worker.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 12th century, where a person named Robert le Colsher was mentioned. This indicates that the surname was already in use by that time, likely referring to an individual involved in the coal mining industry.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various spellings such as Colshere, Colshyre, and Colsher in various manorial records and tax rolls in Yorkshire and neighboring counties. This variation in spelling was common during that era due to the lack of standardized orthography.
A notable figure bearing this surname was John Colsher, a wealthy landowner and coal merchant who lived in the village of Rotherham, Yorkshire, in the late 15th century. He was instrumental in the development of the local coal mining industry and left a significant legacy in the region.
Another individual of note was William Colsher, born in 1642 in the village of Pontefract, Yorkshire. He was a renowned stonemason and worked on the construction of several churches and other notable buildings in the area during the 17th century.
In the 18th century, the name COLSHER spread to other parts of England, with records showing individuals bearing the surname in counties such as Lancashire and Derbyshire. One such person was Thomas Colsher, born in 1712 in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, who was a prominent figure in the local coal mining community and served as an overseer for several mines in the region.
Sarah Colsher, born in 1785 in Leeds, Yorkshire, was a well-known educator and advocate for women's education during the early 19th century. She established one of the first schools for girls in the city and wrote several books on the importance of education for women.
While the surname COLSHER is not among the most common in England today, it has a rich history deeply rooted in the coal mining traditions of Yorkshire and neighboring regions, with notable individuals contributing to various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Colsher
Among Census respondents with the surname Colsher, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Colsher 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 Colsher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.1% · 97
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Colsher
Colsher appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 3,677 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 3,677 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 Colsher 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 | #158,432 | #154,755 | 2.3% |
| Count | 102 | 102 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 13.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Colsher bearers went from 102 to 102 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 3,677 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #154,755.
FAQ
Colsher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Colsher?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Colsher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Colsher?
Colsher ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Colsher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Colsher.
Has Colsher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Colsher went from 102 recorded bearers to 102. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Colsher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Colsher, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Colsher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.1% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Colsher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.1%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Colsher (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 Colsher mean?
An occupational surname originating from a Middle English term for a coal seller or charcoal burner. 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 Colsher (0.03 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 surname Colsher?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.