NameCensus.

UK surname

Colborn

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "dwelling by a cold stream or spring."

In the 1881 census there were 208 people recorded with the Colborn surname, ranking it #12,511 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 208, ranked #19,062, down from #12,511 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Paddington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sunderland, Barnsley and Stroud.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Colborn is 250 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has stayed broadly stable by 0.0%.

1881 census count

208

Ranked #12,511

Modern count

208

2016, ranked #19,062

Peak year

1861

250 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Colborn had 208 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #12,511 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 208 in 2016, ranked #19,062.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 250 in 1861.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Colborn surname distribution map

The map shows where the Colborn surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Colborn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Colborn over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 214 #9,898
1861 historical 250 #9,877
1881 historical 208 #12,511
1891 historical 242 #13,048
1901 historical 214 #14,517
1911 historical 241 #13,229
1997 modern 208 #17,219
1998 modern 223 #16,936
1999 modern 217 #17,307
2000 modern 220 #17,138
2001 modern 213 #17,267
2002 modern 231 #16,677
2003 modern 211 #17,513
2004 modern 205 #17,935
2005 modern 207 #17,731
2006 modern 206 #17,945
2007 modern 199 #18,542
2008 modern 198 #18,753
2009 modern 209 #18,493
2010 modern 227 #17,895
2011 modern 228 #17,673
2012 modern 214 #18,358
2013 modern 219 #18,385
2014 modern 217 #18,645
2015 modern 210 #18,958
2016 modern 208 #19,062

Geography

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Where Colborns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes, Paddington and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sunderland, Barnsley and Stroud. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff Gloucestershire
2 London parishes London 1
3 Paddington London (West Districts)
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sunderland 006 Sunderland
2 Barnsley 026 Barnsley
3 Stroud 014 Stroud
4 Barnsley 020 Barnsley
5 Sunderland 002 Sunderland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Colborn

These lists show first names that appear often with the Colborn surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Colborn

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Colborn, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Colborn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Colborn household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Colborn is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Colborn is most concentrated in decile 2 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

2
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Colborn falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Colborn is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Colborn, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Colborn

The surname Colborn is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English words 'col' meaning coal or charcoal, and 'burn' meaning a small stream. It is believed to have originated in England, particularly in areas with coal mining or charcoal burning industries near small streams or brooks.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Colburne'. This entry suggests that individuals with this surname may have lived near a coal-burning stream during the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, records show variations of the name such as 'Colborne' and 'Colburne' in counties like Staffordshire and Leicestershire, where coal mining and charcoal production were prevalent. The name was sometimes associated with places like Colborn in Staffordshire or Colborne in Leicestershire.

Some notable individuals with the surname Colborn throughout history include:

1. Sir John Colborn (1784-1857), a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada. 2. Robert Colborn (1808-1891), a British architect who designed numerous churches and buildings in London and the surrounding areas. 3. Frances Colborn (1792-1873), an American writer and poet who published several works, including "Poetical Works" in 1825. 4. William Colborn (1793-1871), a British politician and Member of Parliament for Southampton from 1835 to 1857. 5. Henry Colborn (1785-1855), an English publisher and bookseller who founded the publishing house Henry Colburn and Co., known for publishing works by authors like Lord Byron and Sir Walter Scott.

The surname Colborn has a rich history, with its origins dating back to Anglo-Saxon times in England. Its ties to coal mining, charcoal burning, and proximity to small streams have shaped its meaning and geographic distribution over the centuries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Colborn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Colborn surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Gloucestershire leads with 40 Colborns recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.05x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 40 10.05x
Hampshire 33 7.94x
Middlesex 33 1.63x
Somerset 24 7.35x
Oxfordshire 14 11.17x
Berkshire 12 7.88x
Staffordshire 12 1.75x
Durham 9 1.49x
Sussex 8 2.34x
Midlothian 7 2.58x
Lancashire 4 0.17x
Kent 3 0.43x
Warwickshire 3 0.59x
Dorset 2 1.50x
Surrey 1 0.10x
Wiltshire 1 0.56x
Worcestershire 1 0.38x
Yorkshire 1 0.05x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Highclere in Hampshire leads with 17 Colborns recorded in 1881 and an index of 6538.46x.

Place Total Index
Highclere 17 6538.46x
Frampton Cotterell 13 928.57x
Chelsea London 12 19.63x
Portishead 10 411.52x
Southampton St Michael 10 729.93x
Hampstead London 9 28.48x
Iron Acton 9 1125.00x
Brighton 8 11.59x
Oxford St Thomas 8 136.75x
Bishopwearmouth 7 13.51x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 7 6.40x
St Marylebone London 7 6.46x
Branstone 6 869.57x
Bristol St Philip Jacob 6 16.02x
Burntwood Edial 6 137.30x
Oxford St Ebbe 6 162.60x
Reading St Lawrence 6 184.05x
Priston 5 2777.78x
South Stoneham 4 44.35x
Binegar 3 1578.95x
Birmingham 3 1.76x
Shepton Mallet 3 81.97x
Sulhamstead Banister 3 1666.67x
West Derby 3 4.26x
Bristol St James St Paul 2 15.07x
Deptford St Paul 2 3.75x
East Pennard 2 476.19x
East Woodhay 2 188.68x
Hawkesbury 2 148.15x
Henbury 2 103.09x
Hinton Martel 2 769.23x
Penshaw 2 110.50x
Rangeworthy 2 1176.47x
Reading St Mary 2 16.39x
St Pancras London 2 1.22x
Bristol St George 1 5.43x
Chorlton On Medlock 1 2.61x
Dowdeswell 1 285.71x
Downton 1 42.55x
Ickham Well 1 250.00x
Kidderminster Borough 1 6.45x
Southwark St George Martyr 1 2.45x
St Giles In Fields London 1 10.05x
St Luke London 1 3.07x
Stapleton 1 13.25x
Stone Easton 1 400.00x
Stow On The Wold 1 113.64x
Upsall In Guisbrough 1 1000.00x
West Swallowfield 1 138.89x
Westminster St James 1 4.79x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Colborn surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Colborn surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
George 13
William 13
Joseph 9
James 8
John 8
Charles 7
Henry 6
Thomas 6
Albert 3
Walter 3
Alfred 2
Arthur 2
David 2
Frederick 2
Harry 2
Nelson 2
Seth 2
Benjamin 1
Edmund 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Geo. 1
Hurbert 1
Kirby 1
Maria 1
Reginald 1
Rowland 1
Stanley 1
Tom 1
Wm. 1
Wm.H.S. 1

FAQ

Colborn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Colborn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 208 people were recorded with the Colborn surname. That placed it at #12,511 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Colborn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 208 in 2016. That gives Colborn a modern rank of #19,062.

What does the Colborn surname mean?

An English surname derived from a place name meaning "dwelling by a cold stream or spring."

What does the Colborn map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Colborn bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.