2000
#2,818
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,644
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.32
Uncommon Last name
Kolb
A German occupational surname referring to someone who lived near or worked with a rounded hill or peak.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,842 Americans carry the last name Kolb. That puts it at #3,140 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,690 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Kolb 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 Kolb with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,690
Census rank
#3,140
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,199 bearers of the surname Kolb in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3140th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolb, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kolb
The surname Kolb originated in Germany, and it can be traced back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the German word "Kolb," which means "calf" or "young ox." It is believed that the name was initially given as a nickname to someone who resembled a calf or had a connection to calves or cattle.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Kolb can be found in various German documents and records from the 13th and 14th centuries. For instance, the name appears in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a collection of historical documents from the Westphalian region of Germany, dating back to the year 1300.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Kolb was Johannes Kolb, a German merchant who lived in the 15th century. He is mentioned in several historical records from the city of Nuremberg, where he conducted his business dealings.
In the 16th century, the name Kolb gained prominence with the birth of Kaspar Kolb, a German humanist and scholar who lived from 1534 to 1594. He was a renowned educator and writer, and his works on pedagogy and philosophy were widely read and influential during his time.
Another notable figure with the surname Kolb was Johann Kolb, a German artist who lived from 1597 to 1645. He was a talented engraver and etcher, and his works were highly sought after by collectors and art enthusiasts across Europe.
During the 17th century, the name Kolb appeared in various places throughout Germany, including the town of Kolbsheim in the Alsace region. This town's name is believed to be derived from the same root as the surname Kolb, further highlighting the connection between the name and the region.
In the 18th century, one of the most prominent figures with the surname Kolb was Johann Kaspar Kolb, a German naturalist and explorer who lived from 1714 to 1784. He traveled extensively in southern Africa and documented his observations and discoveries in his book, "The Present State of the Cape of Good Hope."
As the centuries passed, the surname Kolb continued to spread across Germany and other parts of Europe, with many individuals bearing this name making significant contributions to various fields, including science, literature, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kolb
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolb, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Kolb 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 Kolb surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 10,316
- Two or more races3.0% · 331
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 329
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 91
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 79
- Black or African American0.5% · 53
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kolb
Kolb 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
#3,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,705
+61 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 3.97
Rank movement Down 246 places
2020
#3,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,199
-506 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 3.75
Rank movement Down 76 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,818 | 11,644 | 4.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,064 | 11,705 | 3.97 | +61 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 246 places |
| 2020 | #3,140 | 11,199 | 3.75 | -506 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 76 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 Kolb 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 | #3,064 | #3,140 | -2.5% |
| Count | 11,705 | 11,199 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.97 | 3.75 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kolb bearers went from 11,705 to 11,199 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 76 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,064 to #3,140.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Kolb
FAQ
Kolb surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kolb?
Name Census estimates that about 12,842 living Americans carry the surname Kolb. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,690 residents.
How common is Kolb?
Kolb ranks #3,140 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,199 people with the surname Kolb. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,842), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Kolb.
Has Kolb become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kolb went from 11,705 recorded bearers to 11,199. That is a decrease of 506 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,064 to #3,140.
What does the Census say about the background of Kolb?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kolb, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Kolb in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (10,316 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kolb appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Kolb (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 Kolb mean?
A German occupational surname referring to someone who lived near or worked with a rounded hill or peak. 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 Kolb (3.75 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 Americans have the surname Kolb?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.