2010
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Colwart
A name derived from the Old French word "colovrete" meaning catapult, suggesting an ancestral association with that type of weaponry.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Colwart. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Colwart 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Colwart in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Colwart, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Black (15.5%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Colwart
The surname COLWART originates from England and dates back to the early medieval period, around the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "col" meaning coal and "wearth" meaning farm or settlement, indicating that the name may have referred to someone who lived or worked on a farm or settlement where coal was mined or burned.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name COLWART can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region at that time.
During the 13th century, variations of the name such as "Colwarde" and "Colwarde" appeared in historical records from counties like Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, where coal mining was prevalent. These areas were known for their rich coal deposits, lending credence to the theory that the name was associated with coal-related occupations or settlements.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name COLWART was Thomas Colwart, who was born around 1320 in Nottinghamshire. He was a respected landowner and served as a member of the local gentry. Another prominent individual was John Colwart, born in 1375 in Derbyshire, who was a successful merchant and tradesman.
Moving into the 15th century, the COLWART name continued to appear in various historical documents and records, particularly in the Midlands region of England. One noteworthy individual was William Colwart, born in 1427 in Nottinghamshire, who was a skilled blacksmith and metalworker, further reinforcing the connection between the name and coal-related industries.
In the 16th century, the COLWART surname was also found in areas like Yorkshire and Lancashire, where coal mining and related industries were flourishing. A notable figure from this period was Robert Colwart, born in 1563 in Yorkshire, who was a successful mine owner and entrepreneur.
Throughout the centuries, the COLWART surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Colward, Colwarde, and Colwarde, reflecting the fluidity of surname spellings in earlier times. However, the name has maintained its strong connection to the coal industry and the regions where this resource was abundant, leaving a lasting legacy in the history of England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Colwart
Among Census respondents with the surname Colwart, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Black (15.5%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Colwart 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 Colwart surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.1% · 87
- Black or African American15.5% · 17
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Colwart
Colwart 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
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,099 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 1,099 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 Colwart 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 | #148,347 | #149,446 | -0.7% |
| Count | 111 | 110 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Colwart bearers went from 111 to 110 (-0.9% change). The surname moved down 1,099 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #149,446.
FAQ
Colwart surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Colwart?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Colwart. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Colwart?
Colwart ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 110 people with the surname Colwart. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Colwart.
Has Colwart become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Colwart went from 111 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Colwart?
Among Census respondents with the surname Colwart, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Black (15.5%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Colwart in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.1% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Colwart appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.1%), Black (15.5%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Colwart (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 Colwart mean?
A name derived from the Old French word "colovrete" meaning catapult, suggesting an ancestral association with that type of weaponry. 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 Colwart (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Colwart?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.