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Origins of the Coleman surname

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What does the name Coleman mean?

Coleman is an English surname, with more than one hypothesised origin. Firstly it is thought to be occupational and refer to the servant of someone name 'Cole' (Cole was a medieval nickname or diminutive of Nicholas). Some also think it is a corruption of someone who worked as a charcoal burner or collier, and their descendants.

Alternative variations of the name Coleman

Coleman, Colman, Collman, Cowlman, Calman

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Where do most Colemans live?

In 1921, most Colemans lived in London.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Colemans

How common is your surname?

233rd most common surname in the UK

We have 161,000 records for the Coleman surname. The oldest one dates back to 1220.

Who were Colemans most likely to marry?

Smiths

&

Williamses

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Colemans.

What are the most common Coleman first names?

  • John
  • William
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Coleman family members

Common jobs for Colemans

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Colemans in 1921
Dressmaker

738

Laundress

522

Domestic Servant

367

General Servant Domestic

355

Charwoman

337

Common Male occupations for Colemans in 1921
Agricultural Labourer

921

General Labourer

715

Farm Labourer

525

Farm Hands

506

Carpenter

504

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We found over 200,000 family trees with the Coleman surname

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