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

Colson, 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 Colson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Colson in America

Colson is the 3666th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Colson surname appeared 9,710 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Colson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Colson 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 Colson

The surname Colson is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "colu," meaning "dark-complexioned" or "swarthy," and the suffix "-son," indicating "son of." It emerged during the medieval period in various regions of England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Colson can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was established in England before the Norman Conquest of 1066.

The name is thought to have originated as a descriptive surname, referring to an individual with a dark complexion or swarthy appearance. It was initially given as a nickname to distinguish someone from others in the same community.

In the 13th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as Colson, Colsun, and Colsone, reflecting the regional dialects and inconsistent spellings of the time. Some early bearers of the name included John Colsun, recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1230, and William Colson, mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.

Notable historical figures with the surname Colson include:

1. Sir John Colson (c. 1540-1609), an English politician and sheriff of London.
2. Nathaniel Colson (1599-1663), an English politician and lawyer who served as a member of Parliament.
3. Lancelot Colson (1628-1711), an English mathematician and astronomer, known for his contributions to the development of calculus.
4. Francis Colson (1678-1751), an English novelist and translator, best known for his English translation of Voltaire's works.
5. Richard Colson (1804-1890), an English surveyor and architect who designed many buildings in London.

The name Colson has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Colson Bassett in Nottinghamshire and Colson in Wiltshire, further solidifying its historical roots in the country.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Colson

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Colson, please contact us.

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