2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kolafa
A surname of Nigerian origin referring to someone with a pleasant demeanor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Kolafa. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kolafa 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Kolafa in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolafa, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kolafa
The surname KOLAFA has its origins in the Czech Republic, tracing back to the early 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Czech word "kolafa," which means "a person who makes or sells wooden spokes for wagon wheels." The name's etymology suggests that early bearers of the surname were likely involved in this trade or profession.
The first recorded instances of the KOLAFA name appear in parish records and tax rolls from the region of Bohemia, which was then part of the Kingdom of Bohemia within the Holy Roman Empire. Variations in spelling were common in the early years, with versions such as Kolaffa, Kolaffa, and Kollafa appearing in historical documents.
One of the earliest known references to the KOLAFA name can be found in a land deed from the town of Plzeň, dated 1532, which mentions a Jan Kolafa as a landowner. Another notable early record is the marriage registry of the Church of St. Vitus in Prague, which lists the union of Mikuláš Kolafa and Anna Havlíčková in 1587.
As the KOLAFA name spread across Bohemia and Moravia, it became associated with several notable individuals throughout history. In the 17th century, Václav Kolafa (1615-1682) was a respected clockmaker and inventor from the town of Chrudim, known for his contributions to the development of mechanical clocks and timepieces.
During the 18th century, the KOLAFA name gained prominence in the military, with Jan Kolafa (1724-1798) serving as a distinguished officer in the Austrian Imperial Army. He participated in several campaigns against the Ottoman Empire and was awarded the Military Order of Maria Theresa for his bravery and leadership.
In the realm of arts and culture, the 19th century saw the rise of Josef Kolafa (1821-1892), a renowned Czech painter and illustrator. His works, depicting scenes from Czech folklore and rural life, are preserved in several museums and galleries across the country.
Another notable figure was Alois Kolafa (1857-1918), a prominent Czech architect and urban planner. He played a significant role in the development of Prague's modern architectural landscape, designing several iconic buildings and public spaces that still stand today.
Towards the end of the 19th century, the KOLAFA name also gained recognition in the field of education, with Anna Kolafa (1872-1947) being one of the first female university professors in the Czech lands. She taught Czech literature and linguistics at Charles University in Prague and made significant contributions to the study of Czech language and culture.
While the KOLAFA surname has its roots in the Czech Republic, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical records and notable individuals mentioned above highlight the name's deep-rooted connection to Czech heritage and its significance in various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kolafa
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolafa, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kolafa 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 Kolafa surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kolafa
Kolafa 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,785 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-13 bearers (-10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,411 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 8,785 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.8%) | Down 12,411 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 Kolafa 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 | #139,228 | #151,639 | -8.9% |
| Count | 120 | 107 | -10.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kolafa bearers went from 120 to 107 (-10.8% change). The surname moved down 12,411 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #151,639.
FAQ
Kolafa surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kolafa?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Kolafa. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Kolafa?
Kolafa ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Kolafa. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Kolafa.
Has Kolafa become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kolafa went from 120 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Kolafa?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolafa, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Kolafa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kolafa appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Hispanic (4.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Kolafa (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 Kolafa mean?
A surname of Nigerian origin referring to someone with a pleasant demeanor. 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 Kolafa (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 people have the surname Kolafa?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.