2010
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Kolbas
A surname derived from the Slavic word for sausage, likely referring to an occupation related to sausage making.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Kolbas. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kolbas 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Kolbas in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolbas, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kolbas
The surname Kolbas has its origins in Poland, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Polish word "kolba," which means "a butt or stock of a firearm." The name likely referred to an occupation or trade related to the manufacturing or handling of firearms or weapons.
In the early days, Kolbas was primarily found in the regions of Lesser Poland and Silesia, where early records of the name can be traced. Some of the earliest known bearers of the name include Jan Kolbas, a gunsmith from Krakow, mentioned in a guild register from 1587, and Michał Kolbas, a blacksmith from Wrocław, recorded in a tax roll from 1612.
The name Kolbas appeared in various historical documents throughout the centuries, including church records, land deeds, and court proceedings. One notable example is the mention of a Jakub Kolbas in the "Metryka Koronna," a collection of royal decrees and documents from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, dating back to the late 16th century.
In the 18th century, the Kolbas surname began to spread beyond its original regions, as individuals with this name migrated to other parts of Poland and neighboring countries. One prominent figure from this era was Franciszek Kolbas (1737-1810), a Polish military officer who fought in the Kościuszko Uprising against the Russian Empire.
As the name Kolbas evolved over time, different spellings and variations emerged, such as Kolbaś, Kolbasinski, and Kolbasek. These variants often reflected regional dialects or the influence of other languages in areas where Kolbas families settled.
Among the notable individuals with the Kolbas surname in more recent history are:
1. Józef Kolbas (1880-1942), a Polish physician and professor at the University of Warsaw.
2. Stanisław Kolbas (1901-1988), a Polish artist and painter known for his landscapes and portraits.
3. Wincenty Kolbas (1923-2001), a Polish writer and journalist who published several novels and short stories.
4. Andrzej Kolbas (born 1951), a Polish politician and former member of the Sejm (lower house of the Polish parliament).
5. Joanna Kolbas (born 1975), a Polish actress and television personality.
While the surname Kolbas has its roots in Poland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and diaspora communities. However, the historical origins and significance of this name remain closely tied to its Polish heritage and the occupation or trade it once represented.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kolbas
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolbas, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Kolbas 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 Kolbas surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 93
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 7
- Two or more races4.8% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kolbas
Kolbas appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-5 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,594 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 3,594 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 Kolbas 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 | #149,395 | #152,989 | -2.4% |
| Count | 110 | 105 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kolbas bearers went from 110 to 105 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 3,594 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #152,989.
FAQ
Kolbas surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kolbas?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Kolbas. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Kolbas?
Kolbas ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Kolbas. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Kolbas.
Has Kolbas become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kolbas went from 110 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Kolbas?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolbas, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Kolbas in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kolbas appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Hispanic (6.7%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Kolbas (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 Kolbas mean?
A surname derived from the Slavic word for sausage, likely referring to an occupation related to sausage making. 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 Kolbas (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 Kolbas?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.