2000
#3,254
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,081
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.74
Uncommon Last name
Colwell
An English locational surname derived from places meaning "cold spring" or "coal spring" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,214 Americans carry the last name Colwell. That puts it at #3,558 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,565 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Colwell 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 Colwell with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 30,565
Census rank
#3,558
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.8K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,779 bearers of the surname Colwell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3558th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Colwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Colwell
The surname Colwell has its origins in England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "col" meaning coal and "well" referring to a spring or stream, indicating that the name likely referred to someone who lived near a coal-colored stream or spring.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mention a person named Robert de Colewell. The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the name, but it does mention places like Colwell in Bedfordshire and Caldewell in Staffordshire, which may have been the places of origin for some early bearers of the name.
In the 13th century, the name appeared with various spellings such as Colewelle, Collewelle, and Colewell, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. One notable bearer of the name during this period was John de Colwell, who was recorded as a landowner in Oxfordshire in 1279.
By the 14th century, the name had spread to other parts of England, with records showing Colwells in counties like Derbyshire and Warwickshire. One prominent individual with this surname was William Colwell, a wealthy merchant from Bristol who lived in the late 14th century and was involved in trade with Ireland and the continent.
The 15th and 16th centuries saw the emergence of various branches of the Colwell family across England. In 1487, a John Colwell was recorded as a member of the Guild of St. Mary in Boston, Lincolnshire. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Colwell, a courtier and member of the Privy Council during the reign of Elizabeth I in the late 16th century.
As the centuries progressed, the Colwell name continued to be found in various parts of England, with some bearers of the name making their mark in different fields. In the 18th century, Samuel Colwell was a renowned clockmaker in London, while in the 19th century, Thomas Colwell was a prominent architect who designed several churches and public buildings in Gloucestershire.
Throughout its history, the surname Colwell has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, merchants, artisans, and professionals. While the name originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and settlement patterns, carrying with it a rich heritage and a connection to the coal-colored streams of its distant past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Colwell
Among Census respondents with the surname Colwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Colwell 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 Colwell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.0% · 8,704
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 336
- Two or more races3.4% · 329
- Black or African American3.0% · 293
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 67
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 50
Timeline
Historical Census data for Colwell
Colwell 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
#3,518
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,140
+59 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 3.44
Rank movement Down 264 places
2020
#3,558
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,779
-361 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 3.27
Rank movement Down 40 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,254 | 10,081 | 3.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,518 | 10,140 | 3.44 | +59 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 264 places |
| 2020 | #3,558 | 9,779 | 3.27 | -361 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 40 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 Colwell 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 | #3,518 | #3,558 | -1.1% |
| Count | 10,140 | 9,779 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 3.44 | 3.27 | -4.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Colwell bearers went from 10,140 to 9,779 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 40 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,518 to #3,558.
FAQ
Colwell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Colwell?
Name Census estimates that about 11,214 living Americans carry the surname Colwell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 30,565 residents.
How common is Colwell?
Colwell ranks #3,558 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.27 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,779 people with the surname Colwell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,214), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.27 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Colwell.
Has Colwell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Colwell went from 10,140 recorded bearers to 9,779. That is a decrease of 361 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,518 to #3,558.
What does the Census say about the background of Colwell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Colwell, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Colwell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.0% (8,704 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Colwell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.0%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Colwell (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 Colwell mean?
An English locational surname derived from places meaning "cold spring" or "coal spring" in Old English. 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 Colwell (3.27 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 Colwell?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.