11,884 Global COLMAN Family Members

COLMAN Family History

This interesting surname is a Scottish variant of Coleman, which has a number of possible origins, the first source being of both Irish and English origin, from the Old Irish personal name "Colman", from "Columban", a compound of the Gaelic elements "colm", a dove and "ban", white, hence a "white dove". This name was adopted by Scandinavians as the Old Norse "Kalman" and was introduced into Cumberland, Westmorland and Yorkshire by Norwegians from Ireland. The second source is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and was given as an occupational name for a burner of charcoal or a gatherer of coal, from the Middle English (1200 - 1500) "coleman", derived from the Old English pre 7th Century "col" (char) coal and "mann", man.