2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Koleff
A surname derived from the East Slavic personal name Kolya, a diminutive of Nikolai.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Koleff. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Koleff 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Koleff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Koleff, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Koleff
The surname KOLEFF originates from Bulgaria, with roots dating back to the late 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Slavic word "kol," meaning a stake or a wooden pole, suggesting a possible occupation or association with woodworkers or carpenters.
Early records of the KOLEFF name can be traced to the region of Veliko Tarnovo, the former capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire. The name appears in several historical documents from the 14th and 15th centuries, including the Tarnovo Inscriptions, a collection of medieval inscriptions found in the city.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the KOLEFF name is found in a 1412 manuscript detailing land ownership disputes in the village of Arbanasi, near Tarnovo. The document mentions a certain Ivan KOLEFF, who was involved in a dispute over a parcel of land.
During the Ottoman rule of Bulgaria, from the 15th to the 19th century, the KOLEFF name was also present in various tax registers and census records. A notable figure from this period was Georgi KOLEFF, a merchant and landowner who lived in the town of Koprivshtitsa in the late 18th century.
The village of Kolari, located in the Rila Mountains, is thought to have derived its name from the KOLEFF surname, suggesting a historical connection between the name and the area.
In the 19th century, several prominent individuals with the KOLEFF surname emerged. Petko KOLEFF (1818-1897) was a Bulgarian teacher and revolutionary who played a significant role in the struggle for Bulgarian independence from the Ottoman Empire. Another notable figure was Ivan KOLEFF (1832-1905), a merchant and philanthropist from the town of Gabrovo, who made substantial contributions to the development of education and culture in the region.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the KOLEFF surname gained recognition in literature and academia. Dimitar KOLEFF (1858-1937) was a renowned Bulgarian writer and playwright, known for his works depicting the life of the Bulgarian people during the National Revival period.
Overall, the KOLEFF surname has a rich history rooted in medieval Bulgaria, with connections to various regions, occupations, and influential figures throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Koleff
Among Census respondents with the surname Koleff, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Koleff 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 Koleff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.8% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino16.5% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Koleff
Koleff 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-16 bearers (-12.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,144 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-3 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,952 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.5%) | Down 23,144 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 2,952 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 Koleff 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 | #147,253 | #150,205 | -2.0% |
| Count | 112 | 109 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Koleff bearers went from 112 to 109 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 2,952 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #150,205.
FAQ
Koleff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Koleff?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Koleff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Koleff?
Koleff ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Koleff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Koleff.
Has Koleff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Koleff went from 112 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Koleff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Koleff, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (16.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Koleff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.8% (87 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Koleff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.8%), Hispanic (16.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Koleff (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 Koleff mean?
A surname derived from the East Slavic personal name Kolya, a diminutive of Nikolai. 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 Koleff (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 last name Koleff?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Koleff on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.