Collins first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Collins has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Collins

Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Coileáin meaning "descendant of Coileán".

Popularity of Collins by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Collins is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 83% of people named Collins being female.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 1,269 female babies and 62 male babies born with the name Collins.

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 62 1,269
2022 55 1,230
2021 47 1,000
2020 49 845
2019 48 765
2018 58 607
2017 52 494
2016 45 452
2015 52 405
2014 53 329
2013 44 248
2012 44 265
2011 60 177
2010 57 116
2009 30 7
2008 26 6
2007 33 0
2006 31 0
2005 35 0
2004 28 5
2003 22 7
2002 29 0
2001 33 0
2000 34 0
1999 33 0
1998 21 0
1997 38 0
1996 28 0
1995 25 0
1994 27 0
1993 26 0
1992 30 0
1991 24 0
1990 35 0
1989 31 0
1988 28 6
1987 39 0
1986 30 0
1985 28 0
1984 26 0
1983 20 6
1982 22 6
1981 31 0
1980 23 0
1979 27 0
1978 20 0
1977 19 0
1976 11 0
1975 19 0
1974 17 0

The history of the first name Collins

The name Collins is an English given name derived from the Old French surname Colins. The surname itself originates from the Latin name Colinus, which is a diminutive form of the Roman family name Colo. Colo is thought to have referred to a person who cultivated the land or worked as a farmer.

The name Colinus first appeared in written records during the Middle Ages. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Colinus de Parisius, a scholar and theologian who lived in Paris in the 12th century. Another early bearer was Colinus de Rameville, a Norman knight mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086.

In England, the name Collins gained popularity as a given name during the 16th and 17th centuries. One of the earliest recorded instances is that of Collins Gough, an English lawyer and politician who lived from 1577 to 1642. Another notable bearer was Collins Calmady, an English soldier and landowner who fought in the English Civil War (1642-1651).

During the 18th and 19th centuries, several notable individuals bore the name Collins. These include Collins King (1750-1818), an English architect who designed the Theatre Royal in Birmingham, and Collins Trelawny (1786-1850), an English naval officer and politician.

In the 20th century, some famous bearers of the name Collins include Collins Lewis (1900-1982), an American jazz drummer and bandleader, and Collins Mbugua (1934-2009), a Kenyan artist and sculptor.

Other historical figures with the given name Collins include Collins Wilkie (1824-1889), an English novelist and playwright best known for his novels "The Woman in White" and "The Moonstone"; Collins Carpenter (1836-1921), an American politician who served as the 19th Governor of Iowa; and Collins Bartholomew (1891-1953), a Scottish cartographer and founder of the map publishing firm John Bartholomew and Son.

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 Collins was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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"Collins first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 26, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/collins-meaning-and-history/.

"Collins first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/collins-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 26 December, 2024

Collins first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/collins-meaning-and-history/.

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