COLLINS
Collins is a surname of considerable antiquity, found throughout the British Isles and bearing both English and Irish derivations. The name is principally associated with the Christian population of England, where it is recorded in the Middle Ages and continues to be prevalent in contemporary Britain.
The English origin of Collins is a patronymic formation derived from the personal name Colin, itself a diminutive of Nicholas. Nicholas originates from the Greek Nikolaos, meaning “victory of the people”. In this sense, Collins may be interpreted as “son of Colin” or “descendant of Nicholas”. The construction combines the element “Col” with the Saxon suffix “‑in”, a reduced form of “kin” that conveys lineage.
Following the Norman Conquest of 1066, the name was introduced into England, and by the thirteenth century a multitude of variant spellings were documented, reflecting the popularity of the root name Nicholas. The earliest surviving English record is that of John Collin, dated 1221 in the Kings' Rolls of Devonshire, during the reign of King Henry III.
In Ireland the surname appears as an anglicised form of the Gaelic Coileain, traditionally prefixed by “Mac” or “O”. The Gaelic term translates as “the young hound”, and the name is linked to the ancient clan of Connello in the west of Ireland. Notable early bearers include Fr. Dominic Collins (1553–1602). Historical English records also contain Irish‑derived entries such as Roger Colynes (1329, Somerset) and Agnice Collyns (1561, London).
Typical given names associated with the Collins surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
Female
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Julie
- Lisa
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Callins
- Chollis
- Cllins
- Cluness
- Coalin
- Coaling
- Coghlin
- Colies
- Colin
- Colina
- Colinese
- Coliney
- Coling
- Colinge
- Colings
- Colini
- Colino
- Colins
- Colinsky
- Colinson
- Colis
- Collains
- Collan
- Collans
- Collens
- Colli
- Collian
- Collians
- Collias
- Collie
- Collien
- Collies
- Collim
- Collims
- Collin
- Collina
- Collinan
- Collind
- Colline
- Colliner
- Collines
- Collinet
- Colling
- Collinge
- Collingr
- Collings
- Collini
- Collinjr
- Collinns
- Collino
- Collinsan
- Collinsen
- Collinson
- Collinsons
- Collion
- Collions
- Collis
- Colliss
- Collius
- Colllins
- Collns
- Collon
- Collons
- Collyn
- Collyns
- Colyn
- Coolins
- Cowlin
- Cowling
- Cowlings
- Cowlling
- Cowlyn
- Cullins
- 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 Collins in...
Braille
⠉⠕⠇⠇⠊⠝⠎
Morse
-.-.---.-...-....-....
Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Collins are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Garibaldi.
There are approximately 96,295 people named Collins in the UK. That makes it the 56th most common surname in Britain. Around 1,479 in a million people in Britain are named Collins.
Surname type: From name of parent
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Collins
- Lily Collins - Actress, model, writer, and television host
- Joan Collins - Actress, author and columnist
- Phil Collins - Recording artist, musician, songwriter, actor
- Michael Collins - Irish revolutionary leader (1890 to 1922)
- James Collins - Irish football player
- Simon Collins - Musician
- Jackie Collins - -American novelist and writer (1937 to 2015)
- Pauline Collins - Actress
- Edwyn Collins - Scottish musician
- Lewis Collins - Actor (1946 to 2013)
- Ben Collins - Racecar driver
- Justin Lee Collins - Comedian and presenter and actor
- Kathryn Sarah Collins - Actress
- Gemma Collins - Television personality
- Natasha Collins - Model, actress (1976 to 2008)
- James Collins - Welsh football player
- Mel Collins - Musician
- Peter Collins - Racecar driver (1931 to 1958)
- Shirley Collins - Folk singer
- Michelle Collins - Actress
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.