2000
#7,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,950
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.46
Rare Last name
Kolar
A surname of Slovenian origin, derived from the dialect word "kolar," meaning "wheelwright" or "cartwright."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,335 Americans carry the last name Kolar. That puts it at #8,390 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 79,067 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kolar 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
4.3K
1 in 79,067
Census rank
#8,390
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,780 bearers of the surname Kolar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8390th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolar, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kolar
The surname Kolar is of Czech origin, with roots tracing back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Czech word "kolár," which means "wheelwright" or "cartwright," referring to individuals who crafted and repaired wheels for carts and wagons. The name emerged as a occupational surname, identifying individuals by their trade or profession.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Kolar can be found in the Czech town of Kolín, located in the central Bohemian region. This area was known for its thriving trade and craft guilds, providing a fertile ground for the emergence of occupational surnames like Kolar.
In the 14th century, the Kolar surname appeared in various historical records and documents, including the Zemské desky, which were the official land records of the Kingdom of Bohemia. These records offer insights into the lives and activities of individuals bearing the Kolar name during that time period.
One notable figure from history with the surname Kolar was Jan Kolar, a Czech Renaissance poet and translator who lived from 1513 to 1584. He is renowned for his translations of classical works into the Czech language and his contributions to the literary culture of the era.
Another significant individual was Václav Kolar (1791-1853), a Czech writer and journalist who played a crucial role in the Czech National Revival movement. His works helped to promote Czech culture and language during a time of national awakening.
In the 19th century, the Kolar surname gained prominence with the birth of Jaroslav Kolar (1847-1928), a Czech politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Bohemia from 1919 to 1920. His political legacy left a lasting impact on the region's history.
The name Kolar also has ties to various place names throughout the Czech Republic and neighboring regions. For instance, the village of Kolary in northern Bohemia, as well as the town of Kolárovo in present-day Slovakia, were likely named after individuals bearing the Kolar surname or derived from the same occupational roots.
While the Kolar surname originated in the Czech lands, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, its rich history and connection to the wheelwright trade in central Europe remain an integral part of its cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kolar
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolar, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kolar 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 Kolar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 3,477
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 111
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 105
- Two or more races1.9% · 73
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
- Black or African American0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kolar
Kolar 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
#7,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,413
+463 bearers (+11.7%)
Per 100,000 1.50
Rank movement Up 223 places
2020
#8,390
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,780
-633 bearers (-14.3%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Down 858 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,755 | 3,950 | 1.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,532 | 4,413 | 1.50 | +463 bearers (+11.7%) | Up 223 places |
| 2020 | #8,390 | 3,780 | 1.26 | -633 bearers (-14.3%) | Down 858 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 Kolar 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 | #7,532 | #8,390 | -11.4% |
| Count | 4,413 | 3,780 | -14.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.50 | 1.26 | -15.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kolar bearers went from 4,413 to 3,780 (-14.3% change). The surname moved down 858 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,532 to #8,390.
FAQ
Kolar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kolar?
Name Census estimates that about 4,335 living Americans carry the surname Kolar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 79,067 residents.
How common is Kolar?
Kolar ranks #8,390 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.26 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 3,780 people with the surname Kolar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,335), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.26 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 Kolar.
Has Kolar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kolar went from 4,413 recorded bearers to 3,780. That is a decrease of 633 (-14.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,532 to #8,390.
What does the Census say about the background of Kolar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolar, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Kolar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (3,477 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kolar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (2.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.8%). 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 Kolar (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 Kolar mean?
A surname of Slovenian origin, derived from the dialect word "kolar," meaning "wheelwright" or "cartwright." 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 Kolar (1.26 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 are called Kolar?
Find out how many people have the surname Kolar on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.