NameCensus.

UK surname

Colbourn

A surname derived from the Old English words "col" (coal) and "burn" (stream), likely referring to someone living near a coal-burning stream.

In the 1881 census there were 327 people recorded with the Colbourn surname, ranking it #9,147 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 238, ranked #17,361, down from #9,147 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Wolverhampton, Sedgley and Tipton otherwise Tibington. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include King's Lynn and West Norfolk, North Somerset and North Dorset.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Colbourn is 390 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 27.2%.

1881 census count

327

Ranked #9,147

Modern count

238

2016, ranked #17,361

Peak year

1911

390 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Colbourn had 327 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #9,147 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 238 in 2016, ranked #17,361.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 390 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Colbourn surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Colbourn surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Colbourn 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 258 #8,568
1861 historical 194 #12,310
1881 historical 327 #9,147
1891 historical 318 #10,583
1901 historical 375 #9,917
1911 historical 390 #9,455
1997 modern 244 #15,520
1998 modern 248 #15,772
1999 modern 243 #16,094
2000 modern 244 #16,004
2001 modern 240 #15,912
2002 modern 237 #16,413
2003 modern 238 #16,144
2004 modern 234 #16,416
2005 modern 233 #16,434
2006 modern 234 #16,493
2007 modern 238 #16,505
2008 modern 238 #16,640
2009 modern 240 #16,896
2010 modern 246 #16,975
2011 modern 246 #16,833
2012 modern 246 #16,702
2013 modern 259 #16,392
2014 modern 253 #16,774
2015 modern 236 #17,477
2016 modern 238 #17,361

Geography

Back to top

Where Colbourns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Wolverhampton, Sedgley, Tipton otherwise Tibington, Dudley and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to King's Lynn and West Norfolk, North Somerset, North Dorset, Aylesbury Vale and Trafford. 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 Wolverhampton Staffordshire
2 Sedgley Staffordshire
3 Tipton otherwise Tibington Staffordshire
4 Dudley Staffordshire
5 London parishes London 3

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 King's Lynn and West Norfolk 018 King's Lynn and West Norfolk
2 North Somerset 008 North Somerset
3 North Dorset 007 North Dorset
4 Aylesbury Vale 013 Aylesbury Vale
5 Trafford 002 Trafford

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Colbourn

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Colbourn

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Colbourn, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Colbourn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Colbourn household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Colbourn 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

Colbourn is most concentrated in decile 7 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Colbourn falls in decile 7 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

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

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Colbourn is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of Over 70 mbit/s.

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

10
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Colbourn

The surname Colbourn is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "col" meaning coal or charcoal, and "burn" meaning a stream or brook. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a stream where charcoal was produced or transported.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1190, where it appears as "Colburne". This suggests that the name was well-established in the West Midlands region of England by that time.

The Colbourn surname is also linked to several place names in England, such as Colburn in Yorkshire and Colborne in Staffordshire. These locations may have served as the original homesteads for families bearing the name.

In the 13th century, the name appears in various spellings, such as "Colbourne" and "Colburn", in historical records like the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire and the Feet of Fines for Essex.

One notable figure bearing the Colbourn name was Sir John Colbourn, a 14th-century English knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War. He was born around 1320 and served under King Edward III.

Another significant individual was Robert Colbourn, a 16th-century merchant and alderman of the City of London. He was born in 1542 and played a prominent role in the city's trade and governance.

In the 17th century, the name gained recognition through the likes of John Colbourn (1623-1701), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.

The 18th century saw the birth of William Colbourn (1742-1820), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

In more recent times, the name Colbourn has been associated with figures such as Sir John Colbourn (1905-1994), a British civil servant and former Governor of Bermuda.

Throughout its history, the Colbourn surname has maintained a strong presence in England, particularly in the counties of Yorkshire, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire, where it originated.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Colbourn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Colbourn 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. Staffordshire leads with 114 Colbourns recorded in 1881 and an index of 10.62x.

County Total Index
Staffordshire 114 10.62x
Middlesex 47 1.48x
Worcestershire 29 6.98x
Derbyshire 22 4.42x
Essex 17 2.71x
Hampshire 15 2.30x
Somerset 15 2.93x
Surrey 14 0.90x
Berkshire 10 4.19x
Yorkshire 10 0.32x
Sussex 6 1.12x
Northamptonshire 5 1.67x
Warwickshire 5 0.62x
Glamorgan 4 0.72x
Herefordshire 4 3.07x
Gloucestershire 2 0.32x
Leicestershire 2 0.57x
Huntingdonshire 1 1.58x
Kent 1 0.09x
Lanarkshire 1 0.10x
Oxfordshire 1 0.51x
Radnorshire 1 3.90x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Sedgley in Staffordshire leads with 45 Colbourns recorded in 1881 and an index of 112.87x.

Place Total Index
Sedgley 45 112.87x
Dudley 28 55.47x
Wolverhampton 19 23.02x
Tipton 11 33.47x
West Ham 11 7.94x
Bilston 9 43.27x
Litchurch 9 44.93x
Chesterfield 8 42.87x
Darlaston 8 53.94x
Paddington London 8 6.84x
Camberwell 7 3.45x
St Martin In Fields 7 36.76x
Bedminster 6 12.47x
Cannock 6 32.03x
Hastings Holy Trinity 6 151.90x
Islington London 6 1.95x
Kintbury 6 326.09x
Mile End Old Town London 6 8.87x
Whatley 6 1276.60x
Whippingham 6 121.46x
Barking 5 27.22x
Harrow On The Hill 5 78.74x
Kingswinford 5 12.83x
Northampton St Sepulchre 5 32.85x
Ringwood 5 119.90x
Stapenhill 5 67.48x
Birmingham 4 1.50x
Cardiff St Mary 4 13.11x
Hereford St Peter 4 114.94x
Rotherham 4 22.52x
Sheffield 4 3.99x
Shoreditch London 4 2.90x
Southampton All Sts 4 35.78x
Uttoxeter 4 72.86x
Westminster St Margaret 4 26.08x
Weybridge 4 120.48x
Clewer 3 30.67x
Holcombe 3 517.24x
Wednesfield 3 18.99x
Westminster St James 3 9.18x
Holy Trinity 2 2.64x
St George Hanover Square 2 3.57x
Banbury 1 25.45x
Banstead 1 23.81x
Barony 1 0.38x
Barton Under Needwood 1 51.28x
Bristol All Sts 1 666.67x
Cheltenham 1 2.08x
Ealing 1 3.52x
Godmanchester 1 41.84x
Kegworth 1 42.74x
Kenilworth 1 22.12x
Kings Norton 1 2.69x
Knighton 1 48.31x
Leicester St Margaret 1 1.16x
Lewisham 1 1.73x
Lichfield St Mary 1 32.26x
Limehouse London 1 2.86x
New Windsor 1 147.06x
Reigate Foreign 1 5.96x
Romford 1 10.08x
Speen 1 25.58x
Walsall Borough 1 12.00x
Walsall Foreign 1 1.80x

Top female names

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

Name Count
William 25
George 14
John 12
James 10
Henry 9
Thomas 8
Joseph 6
Alfred 5
Samuel 5
Walter 5
Charles 4
Edward 4
Edwin 3
Thos. 3
Arthur 2
David 2
Francis 2
Frank 2
Fred 2
Frederick 2
Geo. 2
Robert 2
Thos.E. 2
Willm. 2
Abel 1
Albert 1
Benjamin 1
C.H. 1
Chas. 1
Clifton 1
Elijah 1
Enoch 1
Ernest 1
Fred. 1
Frk. 1
Herbert 1
J.W. 1
Job 1
Michael 1
Phillemon 1
Richard 1
Selitinius 1
Sidney 1
Squire 1
Tho. 1
Tobias 1
Victor 1

FAQ

Colbourn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Colbourn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 327 people were recorded with the Colbourn surname. That placed it at #9,147 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Colbourn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 238 in 2016. That gives Colbourn a modern rank of #17,361.

What does the Colbourn surname mean?

A surname derived from the Old English words "col" (coal) and "burn" (stream), likely referring to someone living near a coal-burning stream.

What does the Colbourn map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Colbourn 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.