2000
#5,102
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,313
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.34
Rare Last name
Colton
Derived from a place name meaning "cola's town," referring to a settlement or village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,092 Americans carry the last name Colton. That puts it at #5,444 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,330 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Colton 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Colton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.1K
1 in 48,330
Census rank
#5,444
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,185 bearers of the surname Colton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5444th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Colton, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Colton
The surname Colton originated in England, with its earliest known records dating back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "cola" and "tun," which together mean "coal town" or "charcoal maker's town." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived in a town or village known for its coal production or charcoal-making activities.
One of the earliest known references to the Colton surname can be found in the renowned Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England conducted in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name is also documented in various medieval charters and records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from the late 12th century.
The surname Colton has been linked to several place names in England, including Colton, a village in West Yorkshire, and Colton, a parish in Norfolk. These locations may have been the original homesteads of some of the earliest bearers of the surname.
Among the notable historical figures with the Colton surname is Sir John Colton, a prominent English judge and Chief Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of Edward III in the 14th century. Another significant figure was John Colton, who served as the Bishop of Exeter from 1297 to 1349.
In the 16th century, John Colton (c. 1508-1568) was a renowned English Benedictine monk and theologian, known for his writings on religious topics. During the same period, William Colton (c. 1530-1598) was an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Malmesbury.
Moving forward to the 17th century, Sir Henry Colton (1615-1692) was a notable English judge who served as a Baron of the Exchequer. Additionally, Eliza Colton (1636-1716) was a prominent English writer and poet, recognized for her literary works.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the Colton surname who have made significant contributions throughout history in various fields, including law, religion, politics, and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Colton
Among Census respondents with the surname Colton, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Colton 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 Colton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.7% · 4,866
- Black or African American11.3% · 698
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 276
- Two or more races3.9% · 240
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 63
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 42
Timeline
Historical Census data for Colton
Colton 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
#5,210
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,704
+391 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 2.27
Rank movement Down 108 places
2020
#5,444
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,185
-519 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 2.07
Rank movement Down 234 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,102 | 6,313 | 2.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,210 | 6,704 | 2.27 | +391 bearers (+6.2%) | Down 108 places |
| 2020 | #5,444 | 6,185 | 2.07 | -519 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 234 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 Colton 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 | #5,210 | #5,444 | -4.5% |
| Count | 6,704 | 6,185 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.27 | 2.07 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Colton bearers went from 6,704 to 6,185 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 234 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,210 to #5,444.
FAQ
Colton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Colton?
Name Census estimates that about 7,092 living Americans carry the surname Colton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,330 residents.
How common is Colton?
Colton ranks #5,444 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,185 people with the surname Colton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,092), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Colton.
Has Colton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Colton went from 6,704 recorded bearers to 6,185. That is a decrease of 519 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,210 to #5,444.
What does the Census say about the background of Colton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Colton, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.7%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Colton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.7% (4,866 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Colton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.7%), Black (11.3%), Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Colton (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 Colton mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "cola's town," referring to a settlement or village. 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 Colton (2.07 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 are called Colton?
Find out how common the surname Colton is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.