2000
#49,471
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 399
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Rare Last name
Coulibaly
An occupational surname from the Bambara language meaning "traveler" or "itinerant trader".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,150 Americans carry the last name Coulibaly. That puts it at #15,103 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 159,421 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coulibaly 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 Coulibaly with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 159,421
Census rank
#15,103
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,875 bearers of the surname Coulibaly in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15103rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coulibaly, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and White (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coulibaly
The Coulibaly surname originates from the West African nation of Mali, dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Malinke language, with "Kuli" meaning "war" and "baly" meaning "second." The name was initially given to the second son of a warrior or someone skilled in battle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Coulibaly name appears in a 14th-century manuscript detailing the lineage of the Keita Dynasty, which ruled the Mali Empire. The document mentions a prominent figure named Coulibaly Moussa, who served as a military advisor to the emperor Mansa Musa during his famous pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324.
In the 16th century, the Coulibaly family played a significant role in the resistance against the Moroccan invasion of the Songhai Empire. A notable figure from this period was Coulibaly Bakary, a skilled strategist and leader who organized a guerrilla campaign against the Moroccan forces.
During the 19th century, the Coulibaly name gained prominence in the Wassoulou region of present-day Mali. This area was known for its rich musical traditions, and several Coulibaly griots (storytellers and musicians) became renowned for their talents. One such individual was Coulibaly Nene, a celebrated singer and kora player who lived from 1820 to 1890.
Another notable figure was Coulibaly Mamadou, a respected Islamic scholar and leader who lived from 1835 to 1905. He played a crucial role in spreading Islam throughout the region and establishing educational institutions.
In the 20th century, the Coulibaly name gained international recognition with individuals like Coulibaly Souleymane, a celebrated novelist and playwright born in 1933. His works explored themes of cultural identity, colonialism, and social justice.
It is worth mentioning that the Coulibaly surname is also found in other West African countries, such as Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso, due to migration and cultural exchange within the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coulibaly
Among Census respondents with the surname Coulibaly, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and White (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Coulibaly 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 Coulibaly surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American90.6% · 1,698
- Two or more races4.2% · 78
- White3.7% · 69
- Hispanic or Latino1.1% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coulibaly
Coulibaly 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
#23,251
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,096
+697 bearers (+174.7%)
Per 100,000 0.37
Rank movement Up 26,220 places
2020
#15,103
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,875
+779 bearers (+71.1%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 8,148 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #49,471 | 399 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #23,251 | 1,096 | 0.37 | +697 bearers (+174.7%) | Up 26,220 places |
| 2020 | #15,103 | 1,875 | 0.63 | +779 bearers (+71.1%) | Up 8,148 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 Coulibaly 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 | #23,251 | #15,103 | 35.0% |
| Count | 1,096 | 1,875 | 71.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.37 | 0.63 | 69.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coulibaly bearers went from 1,096 to 1,875 (+71.1% change). The surname moved up 8,148 positions in the national ranking, going from #23,251 to #15,103.
FAQ
Coulibaly surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coulibaly?
Name Census estimates that about 2,150 living Americans carry the surname Coulibaly. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 159,421 residents.
How common is Coulibaly?
Coulibaly ranks #15,103 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,875 people with the surname Coulibaly. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,150), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Coulibaly.
Has Coulibaly become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coulibaly went from 1,096 recorded bearers to 1,875. That is an increase of 779 (+71.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #23,251 to #15,103.
What does the Census say about the background of Coulibaly?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coulibaly, the largest self-reported group is Black at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and White (3.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Coulibaly in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (1,698 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coulibaly appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (90.6%), Two or More Races (4.2%), White (3.7%). 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 Coulibaly (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 Coulibaly mean?
An occupational surname from the Bambara language meaning "traveler" or "itinerant trader". 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 Coulibaly (0.63 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 Coulibaly?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.