2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kolanda
From a small town in India.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Kolanda. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kolanda 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Kolanda in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolanda, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Black (0.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kolanda
The surname KOLANDA is believed to have originated from the Indian subcontinent, specifically in the region of Bengal, which is now divided between modern-day India and Bangladesh. The name can be traced back to the 16th century or earlier.
KOLANDA is thought to be derived from the Bengali word "Kolon," which means "pen" or "quill." It is possible that the surname was initially associated with individuals who worked as scribes, calligraphers, or in professions related to writing and record-keeping.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KOLANDA surname can be found in a 17th-century manuscript known as the "Ain-i-Akbari," which was a comprehensive record of the administration and governance of the Mughal Empire under the reign of Emperor Akbar.
In the 18th century, the KOLANDA name appeared in several land ownership records and tax registers in the Bengali region, indicating that individuals bearing this surname had established themselves as landowners and prominent members of local communities.
A notable individual with the KOLANDA surname was Radhanath KOLANDA, a Bengali poet and scholar who lived in the late 18th century and early 19th century. His works, including poetry and literary critiques, were widely acclaimed and helped shape the literary landscape of Bengal during that period.
Another prominent figure was Protap Chandra KOLANDA, born in 1836, who was a prominent educator and social reformer in Bengal. He founded several educational institutions and advocated for the education of women and the underprivileged sections of society.
In the early 20th century, Bipin Chandra KOLANDA, born in 1876, gained recognition as a renowned historian and scholar. He authored several influential works on the history of India, including the critically acclaimed "The Indian Struggle for Independence."
The KOLANDA surname has also been associated with notable individuals in the field of medicine. One such figure was Suresh Chandra KOLANDA, born in 1901, who was a pioneering physician and contributed significantly to the development of modern medical practices in India.
Throughout history, the KOLANDA surname has been found in various regions of India, particularly in West Bengal, but also in other parts of the country, reflecting the migration and settlement patterns of individuals bearing this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kolanda
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolanda, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Black (0.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kolanda 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 Kolanda surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.3% · 118
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kolanda
Kolanda 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-8 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,285 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,892 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 15,285 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 1,892 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 Kolanda 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 | #140,157 | #142,049 | -1.3% |
| Count | 119 | 120 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kolanda bearers went from 119 to 120 (+0.8% change). The surname moved down 1,892 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #142,049.
FAQ
Kolanda surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kolanda?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Kolanda. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Kolanda?
Kolanda ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Kolanda. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Kolanda.
Has Kolanda become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kolanda went from 119 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 1 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Kolanda?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolanda, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Black (0.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Kolanda in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.3% (118 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kolanda appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.3%), Black (0.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). 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 Kolanda (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 Kolanda mean?
From a small town in India. 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 Kolanda (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 Kolanda?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.