Collyns
A masculine name derived from the surname Collins, meaning "swarthy" or "dark".
Name Census estimates that about 670 living Americans carry the first name Collyns. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Collyns today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Collyns births was 2022 (90 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Collyns. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
670
~ 1 in 511,574 Americans
Peak year
2022
90 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,438
Tracked since 2010
Popularity
Collyns: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Collyns from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 358 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Collyns by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Collyns during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Collyns' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. Texas, Wisconsin, Louisiana recorded the most babies named Collyns, while North Carolina, Kansas, Georgia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 19 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Collyns
The name Collyns is an English variant of the name Colin, which is derived from the Old Gaelic word "caillin" meaning "young boy" or "lad". The name originated in Scotland and Ireland during the Middle Ages.
In ancient times, the name Colin was commonly found in Scottish and Irish records, often used by families of Celtic descent. It was particularly popular in the Highlands of Scotland and the western coastal regions of Ireland.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Collyns can be found in the Domesday Book, a historical record of landowners in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Colinvs", suggesting its use as a personal name during the Norman period.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Collyns or its variants. One example is Collyns Phillpotts (1870-1912), an English author and novelist known for his novels set in the Dartmoor region of Devon. Another is Collyns Stephenson (1890-1969), a British Army officer who served in both World Wars and was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery during World War I.
In the religious sphere, Collyns Fowler (1803-1876) was an English Baptist minister and author who wrote extensively on theological subjects. Additionally, Collyns Trumbull (1819-1894) was an American clergyman and author who served as a chaplain during the American Civil War and wrote several books on religious topics.
Another notable figure was Collyns Burnett (1781-1853), a British Royal Navy officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was present at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. He later became a Member of Parliament and held various governmental positions.
While the name Collyns has its roots in ancient Celtic cultures, it has maintained a presence throughout history, with individuals bearing this name making contributions in various fields such as literature, religion, military service, and politics.
People
Collyns + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Collyns as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Collyns: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Collyns?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 670 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Collyns going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 511,574 US residents.
Is Collyns a common name?
We classify Collyns as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 674 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Collyns most popular?
The single biggest year for Collyns was 2022, when 90 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Collyns is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Collyns in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Collyns a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Collyns in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Collyns still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Collyns in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Collyns can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Collyns?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.