NameCensus.

UK surname

Colombo

A surname of Italian origin referring to a person from Colombia or a dove keeper.

In the 1881 census there were 52 people recorded with the Colombo surname, ranking it #26,281 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 196, ranked #19,848, up from #26,281 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Basingstoke and Deane, Westminster and Kingston upon Thames.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Colombo is 196 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 276.9%.

1881 census count

52

Ranked #26,281

Modern count

196

2016, ranked #19,848

Peak year

2016

196 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Colombo had 52 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #26,281 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 196 in 2016, ranked #19,848.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 73 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Diverse Educated Urban Singles.

Colombo surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Colombo surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Colombo 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 18 #30,094
1861 historical 27 #30,543
1881 historical 52 #26,281
1891 historical 50 #30,253
1901 historical 62 #27,252
1911 historical 73 #25,541
1997 modern 129 #23,143
1998 modern 129 #23,722
1999 modern 143 #22,521
2000 modern 145 #22,259
2001 modern 145 #21,951
2002 modern 152 #21,723
2003 modern 136 #23,045
2004 modern 132 #23,625
2005 modern 146 #22,146
2006 modern 156 #21,399
2007 modern 157 #21,546
2008 modern 159 #21,598
2009 modern 166 #21,469
2010 modern 175 #21,186
2011 modern 173 #21,172
2012 modern 180 #20,606
2013 modern 192 #20,067
2014 modern 189 #20,441
2015 modern 192 #20,138
2016 modern 196 #19,848

Geography

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Where Colombos are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Basingstoke and Deane, Westminster, Kingston upon Thames and Poole. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Basingstoke and Deane 021 Basingstoke and Deane
2 Westminster 019 Westminster
3 Kingston upon Thames 009 Kingston upon Thames
4 Kingston upon Thames 011 Kingston upon Thames
5 Poole 012 Poole

Forenames

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First names often paired with Colombo

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Colombo

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

Multicultural and Educated Urbanites

Group

Diverse Educated Urban Singles

Nationally, the Colombo surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Diverse Educated Urban Singles, within Multicultural and Educated Urbanites. This does not mean every Colombo 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 includes many never-married individuals not living with dependent children. Many were born in EU countries and are now aged between 25-44. This Group is characterised by its ethnic group diversity, although those identifying as Asian are not well represented. Affiliation with the Christian religion amongst residents is low. Reported disability rates are low. Neighbourhoods include some central locations in London and other major cities. Private renting is the norm, and there is some overcrowding. Many individuals are educated to degree level, and full-time employment is common, particularly in managerial and professional occupations.

Wider pattern

Established populations comprising ethnic minorities together with persons born outside the UK predominate in this Supergroup. Residents present diverse personal characteristics and circumstances: while generally well-educated and practising skilled occupations, some residents live in overcrowded rental sector housing. English may not be the main language used by people in this Group. Although the typical adult resident is middle aged, single person households are common and marriage rates are low by national standards. This Supergroup predominates in Inner London, with smaller enclaves in many other densely populated metropolitan areas.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Central Connected Professionals and Managers

Group

Senior Professionals

Within London, Colombo is most associated with areas classed as Senior Professionals, part of Central Connected Professionals and Managers. 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

These very central neighbourhoods house residents whose ages are more skewed towards older age cohorts than elsewhere in the Supergroup. Few households have young children. Rates of illness are low. Indian ethnicity is rare compared to the Supergroup mean. Property under occupation is more common, despite the centrality of neighbourhoods, and more residents live in communal establishments than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

Adult residents of these neighbourhoods are typically aged 25 to 44, working full-time in professional, managerial or associate professional occupations. There are few families with dependent children. The predominantly Inner London neighbourhoods have an international character, including many residents born elsewhere in Europe alongside high numbers of individuals identifying as of Chinese ethnicity. Many individuals are never married, childless and/or living alone. Above average numbers of individuals, likely to be full-time students, live in communal establishments. Elsewhere, privately rented flats are the dominant housing type. Residents of these areas are well-qualified, with a significant number holding Level 4 or above qualifications. There is a correspondingly high level of individuals employed full-time in professional, managerial and associated professional or technical occupations. Employing industries are financial, real estate, professional, administration, and, to a lesser degree, transport and communications. Unemployment is uncommon.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Colombo is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier 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.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Colombo falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Colombo 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 - Other

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

Meaning and origin of Colombo

The surname Colombo is of Italian origin, derived from the word "colombo" which means "dove" in Italian. It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, possibly as a nickname for someone who kept doves or had a gentle, peaceful demeanor like a dove.

The name is thought to have first appeared in the region of Lombardy, in northern Italy, where it was particularly common in the areas around Milan and Bergamo. However, it later spread to other parts of Italy, including the regions of Tuscany, Lazio, and Sicily.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Colombo can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of medieval documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 8th century. Additionally, the name appeared in various medieval records and manuscripts from different Italian cities and regions.

In the 13th century, a notable figure with the surname Colombo was Cristoforo Colombo, better known as Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer who is credited with the discovery of the Americas in 1492. Other famous individuals with the surname Colombo include Matteo Realdo Colombo (1516-1559), an Italian anatomist who made important contributions to the study of the human body, and Ferdinando Colombo (1488-1539), the son of Christopher Columbus who wrote a biography of his father.

Another noteworthy bearer of the Colombo name was Michele Colombo (1749-1838), an Italian architect and engineer who designed several important buildings in Milan, including the Palazzo delle Scienza e delle Arti and the Palazzo delle Nazioni.

In the 20th century, one of the most prominent individuals with the surname Colombo was Umberto Colombo (1927-2006), an Italian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy from 1980 to 1983.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Colombo families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Colombo 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. Middlesex leads with 27 Colombos recorded in 1881 and an index of 5.32x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 27 5.32x
Devon 9 8.53x
Yorkshire 7 1.39x
Kent 4 2.31x
Hampshire 2 1.92x
Gloucestershire 1 1.01x
Lancashire 1 0.17x
Monmouthshire 1 2.73x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hackney London in Middlesex leads with 9 Colombos recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.66x.

Place Total Index
Hackney London 9 31.66x
Okehampton 9 2250.00x
Leeds 7 24.67x
Clerkenwell London 6 50.13x
Saffron Hill London 6 5454.55x
Deptford St Paul 4 29.96x
Islington London 2 4.07x
Bristol St James In 1 68.49x
Freshwater 1 212.77x
Holdenhurst 1 36.63x
Newport 1 57.14x
Shoreditch London 1 4.55x
St George In East London 1 20.96x
St Marylebone London 1 3.69x
West Derby 1 5.68x
Westminster St James 1 19.19x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Annie 2
Margaret 2
Pauline 2
Selina 2
Ada 1
Alice 1
Ann 1
Bessie 1
Caroline 1
Eliza 1
Emily 1
Emma 1
Florence 1
Helen 1
Jane 1
Linda 1
Lyna 1
Matilda 1
N.K. 1
Pamela 1
Sarah 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 4
Joseph 4
Francis 2
Orlando 2
Thomas 2
A. 1
Alexander 1
Alfred 1
Andrew 1
Benjamin 1
Christopher 1
Cormello 1
Cristopher 1
Ernillo 1
Gio 1
Primo 1
Roberto 1
William 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Colombo households.

FAQ

Colombo surname: questions and answers

How common was the Colombo surname in 1881?

In 1881, 52 people were recorded with the Colombo surname. That placed it at #26,281 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Colombo surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 196 in 2016. That gives Colombo a modern rank of #19,848.

What does the Colombo surname mean?

A surname of Italian origin referring to a person from Colombia or a dove keeper.

What does the Colombo map show?

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