2000
#25,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 891
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.33
Rare Last name
Coulston
An English habitational surname derived from a place named Coulston.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,091 Americans carry the last name Coulston. That puts it at #26,940 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 314,165 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Coulston 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Coulston with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 314,165
Census rank
#26,940
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
951
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 951 bearers of the surname Coulston in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26940th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Coulston, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Black (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Coulston
The surname Coulston has its origins in England, tracing back to the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "col" meaning coal and "tun" meaning town or settlement. This suggests that the name was likely associated with a place where coal mining or trade took place.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Coulston appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a William de Coleston is mentioned. This document was a survey of landowners in England, indicating that the name was already established by that time.
In the 14th century, the Coulston name appeared in various records, including the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301, where a John de Colston is listed. The Pipe Rolls were financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, suggesting that the Coulstons may have held some level of prominence or wealth.
The surname Coulston is also found in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, which recorded the names of individuals subject to taxation. This provides evidence of the name's continued presence in the region during that period.
One notable bearer of the Coulston name was Sir John Coulston, a merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1453. He was involved in trade with the Hanseatic League and played a role in the establishment of the Mercers' Company.
Another notable figure was Thomas Coulston (1567-1624), an English clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of York and was involved in the translation of the King James Bible.
In the 17th century, the Coulston surname appeared in various parish records and court documents across England, indicating its widespread use throughout the country.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Coulston name in America dates back to the late 17th century, with the arrival of William Coulston in New Jersey in 1677. This suggests that some members of the Coulston family may have been among the early English settlers in the American colonies.
Over the centuries, variations in the spelling of the surname have emerged, including Colston, Coulson, and Coleson, reflecting the fluid nature of English orthography in earlier times.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Coulston
Among Census respondents with the surname Coulston, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Black (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Coulston 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 Coulston surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.2% · 791
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 48
- Black or African American4.1% · 39
- Two or more races4.1% · 39
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.4% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Coulston
Coulston 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
#24,914
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 998
+107 bearers (+12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Up 994 places
2020
#26,940
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 951
-47 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Down 2,026 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,908 | 891 | 0.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #24,914 | 998 | 0.34 | +107 bearers (+12.0%) | Up 994 places |
| 2020 | #26,940 | 951 | 0.32 | -47 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 2,026 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 Coulston 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 | #24,914 | #26,940 | -8.1% |
| Count | 998 | 951 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.34 | 0.32 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Coulston bearers went from 998 to 951 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 2,026 positions in the national ranking, going from #24,914 to #26,940.
FAQ
Coulston surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Coulston?
Name Census estimates that about 1,091 living Americans carry the surname Coulston. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 314,165 residents.
How common is Coulston?
Coulston ranks #26,940 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.32 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 951 people with the surname Coulston. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,091), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.32 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 Coulston.
Has Coulston become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Coulston went from 998 recorded bearers to 951. That is a decrease of 47 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #24,914 to #26,940.
What does the Census say about the background of Coulston?
Among Census respondents with the surname Coulston, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Black (4.1%). 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 Coulston in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.2% (791 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Coulston appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.2%), Hispanic (5.0%), Black (4.1%). 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 Coulston (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 Coulston mean?
An English habitational surname derived from a place named Coulston. 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 Coulston (0.32 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 Coulston?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Coulston on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.