Find out how popular the first name Colen has been for the last 31 years (from 1975 to 2005) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Colen by gender

Based on the last 31 years of data, Colen is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2005, there were 10 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Colen.

The history of the first name Colen

The name Colen is a variant spelling of the ancient Roman name Colin, which was derived from the Latin word "columna" meaning "pillar" or "column." The name originated during the Roman era and was initially used as a surname or family name.

Colen traces its roots back to the Roman province of Gaul, which encompassed modern-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, Germany, and the Netherlands. As the Roman Empire expanded, the name spread across Europe and evolved into various spellings and pronunciations.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Colen can be found in the writings of the Roman historian Suetonius, who mentioned a certain Colen Publicius, a centurion in the Roman army during the 1st century AD. This suggests that the name was in use among Roman citizens and soldiers at that time.

In the Middle Ages, the name Colen gained popularity in Britain and Ireland, where it was often spelled as Colin or Collin. During this period, the name was associated with various historical figures, including Saint Colin of Drumlithie, a 7th-century Scottish hermit and missionary.

Another notable figure bearing the name Colen was Colen de Lambert, a 12th-century Norman nobleman who participated in the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 and later became a prominent landowner in Oxfordshire.

In the 16th century, the name Colen appeared in the works of the English playwright William Shakespeare. In his play "The Two Gentlemen of Verona," one of the characters is named Colin, a shepherd.

During the 17th century, the name Colen was associated with Colen Campbell, a Scottish soldier and adventurer who served in the Swedish army and later became a prominent figure in the Swedish colony of New Sweden, now part of Delaware and Pennsylvania.

In the 19th century, Colen Harding Hitchens was a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and became a prominent figure in the Jamaican plantocracy. He was born in 1784 and died in 1857.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Colen was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Colen, please contact us.

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