The surname Kolb originates from the Middle High German "kolbe", with various meanings. The main sense is a mace – a heavy medieval war club with a spiked or flanged metal head, used to crush armor, or a cudgel – a short heavy club with a rounded head used as a weapon and part of an official’s insignia. It may also be a house name – there is a record of a house named Zum Kolben in Strasbourg.
Abram Bowman Kolb (1862–1925), Canadian teacher and publisherAlexander Kolb (1891–1963), German generalAllison Kolb (1915–1973), U.S. politicianAnnette Kolb (1870–1967), German pacifistBarbara Kolb (born 1939), U.S. composerBrandon Kolb (born 1973), U.S. baseball playerBrian Kolb (born 1952), U.S. politicianBubba Kolb (born 1940), jazz pianistCarol Kolb (unknown), U.S. comedy writerChris Kolb (1958), U.S. politicianClarence Kolb (1874–1964), U.S. vaudeville performerClaudia Kolb (born 1949), U.S. swimmerDan Kolb (born 1975), U.S. baseball playerDavid Kolb (born 1941), U.S. philosopherDavid A. Kolb (born 1939), U.S. educationistEdward Kolb (born 1951), American cosmologistFrank Kolb (born 1945), German historianFranz Kolb (unknown), German inventorJon Kolb (born 1947), U.S. football playerLawrence Kolb (1911–2006), U.S. psychiatristOphélia Kolb (born 1982), French actressMichael J. Kolb (born c. 1960s), U.S. archaeologistRobert Kolb (born c. 1940), U.S. theologian, systematician