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Coleman Family History

Coleman Surname Meaning

Irish and English: from the Middle English personal name Col(e)man Old Irish Colmán earlier Columbán adopted as Old Norse Kalman. It was introduced into Cumbria Westmorland and Yorkshire by Norwegians from Ireland and probably spread widely across England. Ó Colmáin (‘descendant of Colmán’) was the name of an Irish missionary to Europe also known as Saint Columban(us) (c. 540–615) who founded the monastery of Bobbio in northern Italy in 61 Columbanus is formally a derivative of the Latin for ‘dove’ seen in the name of the 6th-century missionary known in English as Saint Columba (521–597) who converted the Picts to Christianity. This surname is also very common among African Americans. Irish: from Mac Colmáin or Ó Colmáin ‘son (or descendant) of Colmán’. Americanized form of Jewish (Ashkenazic) Kalman or Kolman . Americanized form of German Kohlmann or Kuhlmann . Americanized form of Dutch Kolman or its variants Koolman and Colman . Americanized form of Slovenian Croatian Czech Slovak and Polish Kolman . Compare Colman .7: Americanized form of Finnish Kolehmainen an old surname of uncertain meaning recorded since the 16th century in Savonia in the east of Finland from where it has spread early to Kainuu and central Finland.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Copeman, Kolman, Coltman, Collman, Colman, Goleman, Calman, Colgan

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Where is the Coleman family from?

You can see how Coleman families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Coleman family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Coleman families were found in USA in 1880. In 1840 there were 239 Coleman families living in New York. This was about 14% of all the recorded Coleman's in USA. New York had the highest population of Coleman families in 1840.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Coleman surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Coleman ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Maid were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Coleman. 19% of Coleman men worked as a Laborer and 10% of Coleman women worked as a Maid. Some less common occupations for Americans named Coleman were Truck Driver and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Coleman | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    19%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Salesman
    4%
  • Truck Driver
    3%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Maid
    10%
  • Cook
    8%
  • Housekeeper
    5%
  • Housewife
    5%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Coleman family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 1 million census records available for the last name Coleman. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Coleman census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

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Passenger Lists

There are 89,000 immigration records available for the last name Coleman. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the USA, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 185,000 military records available for the last name Coleman. For the veterans among your Coleman ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Coleman lifespan?

Between 1940 and 2004, in the United States, Coleman life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1940, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Coleman in 1940 was 31, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Coleman

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