Is Colin a boy, girl, or unisex name?

Colin is commonly used as a Boy name.

How popular is Colin?

It’s currently ranked #314 in the U.S. Recent trend: Falling.

Colin Boy

Popularity: #314 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Origin(s)

Irish; Latin

Meaning

Irish: 'young pup'; Latin: 'victorious'

Historical & Cultural Background

Colin is derived from the Irish name 'Cailean', which means 'young pup' or 'whelp'. It has been used in Ireland since the Middle Ages and became popular in English-speaking countries in the 20th century. The name has also been associated with the Latin word 'Colinus', meaning 'victorious'. Colin has been a common name in literature and popular culture.

Trend Summary

Colin has seen fluctuating popularity in the United States, peaking in the 1990s and experiencing a gradual decline since.

Variants

Collin
Kollin

International Variants

Colin (English)
Cullen (Irish)
Colino (Italian)

Famous people named Colin

Colin Powell was an American statesman and a four-star general in the United States Army.

Colin Firth is a British actor known for his roles in films such as 'The King's Speech' and 'Pride and Prejudice'.

Colin Kaepernick is an American civil rights activist and former professional football player.

Colin Hanks is an American actor and filmmaker, recognized for his work in television and film.

Fictional characters named Colin

Colin Creevey is a character in the 'Harry Potter' series, known for being a Gryffindor student and a fan of Harry Potter.

Colin Robinson is a character in the television series 'What We Do in the Shadows', portrayed as an energy vampire.

Sibling Suggestions

Callum Cameron Connor Caitlin Clara Celia

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Colin was first seen in the United States in 1880. Colin has ranked as high as #139 nationally, which occurred in 2004, and has been most popular in California, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. In the past 5 years the name Colin has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

All data featured information on this baby name page is provided from official Social Security Administration databases. Names, Gender, and Birthdates are updated annually by the SSA for both national and state birth totals. Our records on the national level data back to 1880. If a chart starts after 1880 it's because that baby name first appeared in official SSA records at that time. If you're name shows a data after your birthdate as a start pointing, feel free to contact us using our contact section and we'll happily update with your birth year.

Popularity Over Time (National)

Top States for Colin (2024)

Year:

State	Births	Share
CA	93	10%
NY	82	9%
PA	70	8%
IL	70	8%
MA	68	7%
FL	53	6%
TX	47	5%
NC	37	4%
OH	32	3%
VA	31	3%
MI	28	3%
MD	24	3%
WA	22	2%
CT	22	2%
GA	21	2%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

Year	Births
1880	6
1881	5
1882	5
1883	5
1885	6
1886	7
1887	6
1889	6
1890	6
1895	5
1896	6
1897	8
1898	5
1902	5
1904	8
1905	5
1907	6
1908	5
1909	5
1910	5
1911	7
1912	12
1913	17
1914	23
1915	31
1916	42
1917	42
1918	45
1919	43
1920	42
1921	35
1922	34
1923	43
1924	41
1925	39
1926	45
1927	41
1928	52
1929	40
1930	43
1931	28
1932	44
1933	50
1934	64
1935	54
1936	46
1937	52
1938	55
1939	55
1940	58
1941	75
1942	349
1943	320
1944	237
1945	125
1946	148
1947	176
1948	221
1949	210
1950	195
1951	194
1952	198
1953	213
1954	244
1955	256
1956	286
1957	269
1958	281
1959	323
1960	294
1961	357
1962	350
1963	392
1964	391
1965	453
1966	403
1967	445
1968	502
1969	579
1970	624
1971	658
1972	566
1973	561
1974	667
1975	706
1976	790
1977	827
1978	948
1979	1,141
1980	1,196
1981	1,227
1982	1,537
1983	1,557
1984	1,768
1985	1,738
1986	1,690
1987	2,098
1988	2,258
1989	2,604
1990	2,782
1991	2,294
1992	2,630
1993	2,897
1994	2,815
1995	2,630
1996	2,953
1997	3,099
1998	3,076
1999	3,080
2000	3,255
2001	3,170
2002	3,315
2003	4,876
2004	5,122
2005	4,532
2006	3,861
2007	3,608
2008	3,732
2009	3,657
2010	3,489
2011	3,265
2012	3,022
2013	3,041
2014	2,883
2015	2,424
2016	2,052
2017	1,666
2018	1,479
2019	1,394
2020	1,176
2021	1,288
2022	1,170
2023	1,004
2024	1,035