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

Colvin, 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 Colvin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Colvin in America

Colvin is the 1592nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Colvin surname appeared 22,499 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 8 people would have the surname Colvin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Colvin 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 Colvin

The surname Colvin has its origins in Scotland, where it first emerged in the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic personal name "Cailean" or "Colman," which means "cub" or "whelp." The name likely originated as a nickname for a strong or brave individual.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Colvin can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a record of Scottish nobility who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. It appears in the form "Colveyne," suggesting that the spelling has evolved over time.

In the 14th century, the name Colvin appeared in various Scottish charters and documents, such as the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland. This indicates that the name was well-established among Scottish families during this period.

The name Colvin has also been associated with several place names in Scotland, including Colville in Aberdeenshire and Colvin in Dumfriesshire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, reflecting the presence of Colvin families in those areas.

One notable early bearer of the name was Sir Robert Colvin, a 14th-century Scottish knight who fought alongside King Robert the Bruce during the Scottish Wars of Independence. Another prominent Colvin was Sir John Colvin, a 16th-century Scottish Protestant reformer and advocate for education.

During the 17th century, the Colvin surname spread beyond Scotland as Scottish families migrated to other parts of the British Isles and North America. One notable figure from this era was Alexander Colvin, a Scottish-born mathematician and writer who lived from 1596 to 1647.

In the 18th century, several Colvins achieved distinction in various fields. John Colvin (1724-1812) was a British architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in London. Another notable Colvin was Robert Colvin (1742-1838), a Scottish-born merchant and landowner who settled in Virginia, USA.

The 19th century saw the emergence of several prominent Colvins, including Sidney Colvin (1845-1927), an English literary critic and author who wrote extensively on the works of Robert Louis Stevenson. Another notable figure was Fitzwilliam Colvin (1818-1893), a British civil servant and administrator in British India.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Colvin

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

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

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

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