Colon
What is the origin of the last name Colon?
Meaning and origin
The last name Colon originates from Spain and is derived from the Latin word "colonus," meaning "farmer" or "settler." It was likely a surname given to individuals who were involved in agricultural activities or who resided in areas known for farming.
The longer story
The last name Colon is of Spanish origin and is derived from the Latin word "colonus," which means "agricultural worker" or "farmer." The name is a patronymic surname, meaning it is based on the given name of an ancestor.
One possible etymology of the last name Colon is that it originated from the personal name Colonus or Colona, which was used to denote someone who worked as a farmer or tenant on a colonus estate. This theory suggests that the surname Colon was originally used to identify individuals who had a familial relationship to someone with the given name Colonus or Colona.
The surname Colon is relatively common in Spanish-speaking countries, particularly in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. It has also been adopted by individuals of Hispanic or Latino descent living in the United States and other countries.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
#497
Colon was the 497th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 67,338 people, about 23 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Where it is found
Countries linked to Colon.
Surnames like Colon
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Colon is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.