COLLIN
Collin is a surname that originated within the Gaelic linguistic tradition of the British Isles, specifically in Scotland and Ireland. Its earliest recorded usage can be traced to the early twelfth century, when a person named John Collin appears in the King's Rolls of Devonshire dated to 1221. The name was introduced into England by the Normans following the Conquest of 1066, and it has since manifested in a number of spellings and variations.
In the Scottish context, the surname Collin is generally understood to derive from the Gaelic patronymic MacCuilinn, meaning \"son of Cuileann\". The personal name Cuileann translates literally to \"holly\" in English. Consequently, bearers of the name may originally have been identified either by their descent from a man named Cuileann or by their association with a locality in which holly trees were prominent.
Another recognised origin of the surname in both England and Ireland stems from the Greek–Roman given name Nicolaos, from which the medieval diminutive Coll is derived. In this tradition, Collin is formed by combining the element Col with the shortened Saxon suffix in (derived from kin), thereby signifying \"son of Col\". This patronymic construction was popular among Norman settlers, and a variety of derivative spellings were documented in contemporary records.
In Ireland, the surname also appears as an anglicised form of the Gaelic Ó Coileáin, sometimes rendered as Collin, Cullen, or Collins. The original Irish qualification Ó means \"descendant of\", while the root Coileán can be interpreted as \"young hound\". Historical references include individuals such as Fr. Dominic Collins (1553‑1602) in the West of Ireland and several medieval Londoners whose names were recorded as Agnice Collins, Agnete Collens and Alce Collins.
Throughout the centuries the surname has undergone a range of orthographic shifts, producing variants such as Collings, Collis, Collin‑son, Collyn, Collyns, Collen, and Collens. In Scotland, the use of the prefixes Mac and Mc gives rise to surnames like McCollin and MacCollin. In contemporary times, the surname remains widespread in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and other English‑speaking jurisdictions, reflecting the enduring legacy of its Gaelic and Norman roots.
Typical given names associated with the Collin surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Amanda
- Carolyn
- Catherine
- Claire
- Elizabeth
- Gillian
- Helen
- Jennifer
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Rosemary
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Callan
- Callen
- Cline
- Clyne
- Coalin
- Coaling
- Coghlin
- Coli
- Colian
- Colin
- Colina
- Coliney
- Coling
- Colinge
- Colings
- Colini
- Colino
- Colins
- Collan
- Collen
- Colli
- Collian
- Collie
- Collien
- Collies
- Collim
- Collims
- Collina
- Collinan
- Collind
- Colline
- Colliner
- Collines
- Collinet
- Colling
- Collinge
- Collingr
- Collings
- Collini
- Collinjr
- Collinns
- Collino
- Collins
- Collinson
- Collion
- Collip
- Collis
- Colllins
- Collon
- Collyn
- Collyns
- Colnie
- Coloin
- Colwin
- Colyn
- Coullin
- Cowlin
- Cowling
- Cowlling
- Cowlyn
- Cullen
- Cullin
- Gallen
- Ghelani
- Glennie
- Gloyne
- Gullen
- Keelan
- Killian
- Kolin
- Kolins
- Kollin
- Kolling
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Collin in...
Braille
⠉⠕⠇⠇⠊⠝
Morse
-.-.---.-...-....-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 2,340 people named Collin in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,695th most common surname in Britain. Around 36 in a million people in Britain are named Collin.
Surname type: From given name or forename
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Scotland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Collin
- Adam Collin - Football player
- John Collin - Actor (1928 to 1987)
- Francis Collin - Football player
- George Collin - Football player (1905 to 1989)
- Tom Collin - Cricketer (1911 to 2003)
- Keith Collin - Olympic diver (1937 to 1991)
- Hannah Collin - Tennis player
- Joseph Henry Collin - Recipient of the Victoria Cross (1893 to 1918)
- George H. Collin - American politician (1856 to 1938)
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.