Explore the Family Name Colombo

The meaning of Colombo

Italian and Spanish: from the personal name Colombo, from Latin Colombus, Colomba, from Latin columbus ‘dove’, a personal name favored by early Christians because the dove was considered to be the symbol of the Holy Spirit. In some cases the name may have arisen as a nickname for a gentle, mild-mannered person, or as a metonymic occupational name for a keeper of doves. Some characteristic forenames: Italian Angelo, Giovanni, Carlo, Sal, Antonio, Carmelo, Dino, Pasquale, Carmine, Gino, Salvatore, Dante.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Colombo in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname "Colombo" has seen a slight decrease between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 6,308 in terms of popularity, but by 2010, it dropped slightly to 6,516, marking a 3.3% decrease. Despite this drop in rank, the actual count of people with the Colombo surname increased from 4,972 in 2000 to 5,205 in 2010, an increase of 4.69%. However, when considering the proportion per 100,000 population, there was a drop of 4.35%, going from 1.84 in 2000 to 1.76 in 2010.

20002010Change
Rank#6,308#6,516-3.3%
Count4,9725,2054.69%
Proportion per 100k1.841.76-4.35%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Colombo

In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010. The majority of people with the Colombo surname identified as White, although this group saw a slight decrease from 92.26% in 2000 to 89.86% in 2010. There was a substantial increase among those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, climbing from 0.32% in 2000 to 0.52% in 2010, an increase of 62.50%. Similarly, the Hispanic group increased from 5.71% to 7.57%, indicating a 32.57% change. Though smaller in numbers, there were also increases in those identifying as having two or more races and those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native. The Black category showed an increase as well, but the 2000 data was suppressed for privacy.

20002010Change
White92.26%89.86%-2.6%
Hispanic5.71%7.57%32.57%
Two or More Races1.33%1.42%6.77%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.32%0.52%62.5%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.37%0%
Black0%0.27%0%

Colombo ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Colombo is Italian, which comprises 32.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (24.1%) and French & German (21.2%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Eastern European, Indigenous American, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Scandinavian.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Italian32.7%
British & Irish24.1%
French & German21.2%
Other21.9%
Colombo

Possible origins of the surname Colombo

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Colombo have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in Italy, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Sicily, Italy59.80%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom53.80%
Greater London, United Kingdom53.80%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom53.80%
Merseyside, United Kingdom53.80%

What Colombo haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Colombo is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include J-M67 and R-P311, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: D'Angelo, Lombardo, Ricci, Conti, Martini, Rossi, Morelli, Demarco, Lombardi, Falco.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Colombo surname are: H1, N, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

colomboPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Colombo have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Colombo

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Colombo" Surname 42.6%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Colombo

Cheek Dimples

Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.

"Colombo" Surname 25.8%

23andMe Users 37.6%

Habits

Colombo

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Colombo" Surname 20.6%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Colombo

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Colombo" Surname 15.8%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Colombo?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Colombo are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Italian 58.3%

23andMe Users 57.2%