2000
#539
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 55,512
First available Census row
Per 100,000 20.58
Uncommon Last name
Colon
A Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from colono, meaning "colonist, settler, or farmer."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 79,122 Americans carry the last name Colon. That puts it at #470 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 23.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 4,332 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Colon 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
79K
1 in 4,332
Census rank
#470
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
23.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
69K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 68,998 bearers of the surname Colon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 23.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 470th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Colon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.4%. The next largest groups are White (7.6%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Colon
The surname Colon has its origins in Spain, specifically in the regions of Aragon and Catalonia, where it first appeared in the late 13th century. It is derived from the Spanish word "colón," which means "colonist" or "settler." This suggests that the name was likely initially given to those who were among the first settlers in a particular area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Colon can be found in the Siete Partidas, a renowned legal code compiled in Spain during the reign of Alfonso X in the 13th century. This document mentions individuals with the surname Colon, indicating its presence in the region at that time.
The name Colon is also closely linked to the famous explorer Christopher Columbus, whose real name was Cristóbal Colón. Born in 1451 in Genoa, Italy, Columbus is renowned for his voyages across the Atlantic Ocean, which led to the European discovery of the Americas. His surname, Colón, is a Spanish adaptation of the Italian "Colombo," which also means "colonist" or "dove."
Another notable historical figure with the surname Colon was Juan de Colón, the son of Christopher Columbus. He was born in 1467 and played a crucial role in preserving and defending his father's legacy and rights after his death.
In the 16th century, the Colon family established themselves in the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One prominent member was Diego Colón, who was born in 1479 and became the governor of the Indies and the viceroy of the West Indies.
The name Colon has also been associated with various place names throughout history. For instance, the city of Colón in Panama was named after Christopher Columbus, reflecting the influence of this famous explorer and his surname.
Other notable individuals with the surname Colon include Jerónimo Colón, a Spanish navigator and cartographer from the 16th century, and Miguel Colón, a Spanish soldier and explorer who participated in the conquest of Mexico in the early 16th century.
Overall, the surname Colon has a rich history rooted in the Spanish colonization and exploration efforts, with connections to influential figures like Christopher Columbus and his descendants, as well as a presence in various regions of Spain and its former colonies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Colon
Among Census respondents with the surname Colon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.4%. The next largest groups are White (7.6%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Colon 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 Colon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino89.4% · 61,706
- White7.6% · 5,211
- Black or African American1.9% · 1,322
- Two or more races0.5% · 357
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 313
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 89
Timeline
Historical Census data for Colon
Colon 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
#497
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 67,338
+11,826 bearers (+21.3%)
Per 100,000 22.83
Rank movement Up 42 places
2020
#470
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 68,998
+1,660 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 23.08
Rank movement Up 27 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #539 | 55,512 | 20.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #497 | 67,338 | 22.83 | +11,826 bearers (+21.3%) | Up 42 places |
| 2020 | #470 | 68,998 | 23.08 | +1,660 bearers (+2.5%) | Up 27 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 Colon 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 | #497 | #470 | 5.4% |
| Count | 67,338 | 68,998 | 2.5% |
| Per 100K | 22.83 | 23.08 | 1.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Colon bearers went from 67,338 to 68,998 (+2.5% change). The surname moved up 27 positions in the national ranking, going from #497 to #470.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Colon
FAQ
Colon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Colon?
Name Census estimates that about 79,122 living Americans carry the surname Colon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 4,332 residents.
How common is Colon?
Colon ranks #470 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 23.08 per 100,000 residents, which is about 23 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 68,998 people with the surname Colon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (79,122), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 23.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 23.08 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 23 of them to have the surname Colon.
Has Colon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Colon went from 67,338 recorded bearers to 68,998. That is an increase of 1,660 (+2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #497 to #470.
What does the Census say about the background of Colon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Colon, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 89.4%. The next largest groups are White (7.6%) and Black (1.9%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Colon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.4% (61,706 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Colon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (89.4%), White (7.6%), Black (1.9%). 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 Colon (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 Colon mean?
A Spanish and Portuguese surname derived from colono, meaning "colonist, settler, or farmer." 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 Colon (23.08 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 common is the surname Colon?
See how many people have the surname Colon on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.