Colin Boy

Popularity: #325 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: KOL-in //ˈkɒl.ɪn//

Origin: Irish; Latin

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

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Colin has its roots in the Gaelic name "Cailean," which means "young pup" or "whelp." This term is derived from the Old Irish word "caile," which translates to "young one" or "young man." The name evolved through various forms, including the diminutive "Colin" in Middle English, which became popular in Scotland and later spread to other English-speaking regions. The transition into English likely occurred during the medieval period, as Gaelic names began to influence the naming conventions of the English language, particularly in the border regions of Scotland and England.

Historically, the name Colin has been associated with several notable figures. One significant touchpoint is Saint Columba (Colum Cille), a 6th-century Irish missionary who played a crucial role in the spread of Christianity in Scotland.

His influence helped solidify the name's presence in the region. Additionally, the name appears in various literary works, including the poetry of the Scottish poet Robert Burns in the 18th century, which contributed to its cultural resonance.

The name Colin is also found in the works of Shakespeare, further embedding it in the literary tradition of the English language. Culturally, Colin has been associated with qualities such as youthfulness and vitality, reflecting its original meaning.

The name has been embraced in various traditions and folklore, often symbolizing loyalty and companionship, akin to the characteristics of a young dog. The diminutive form "Coll" has also been used historically, adding to the name's versatility.

Overall, Colin's etymological journey and historical significance underscore its enduring presence in the cultural and linguistic landscape.

Famous people named Colin

In this section, you will find notable people named Colin. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Colin who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Colin who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Colin Firth is an actor best known for The King's Speech, Pride and Prejudice, and Love Actually.

Colin Farrell is an actor best known for In Bruges, The Lobster, and Phone Booth.

Colin Mochrie is a comedian and actor best known for Whose Line Is It Anyway? and The Colin Show.

Fictional characters named Colin

The following list of fictional characters named Colin is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Colin Creevey is a fictional character from the book series Harry Potter. He is a Gryffindor student known for his admiration of Harry Potter and his enthusiasm for photography.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Colin, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

CallumCameronConnorCaitlinClaraCelia

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Colin. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

CollinCalvinCullenKellanColbyColeCodyCoryKieran

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Colin was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Colin has ranked as high as #144 nationally, which occurred in 2004, and has been most popular in California, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Ohio.

In the past 5 years the name Colin has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Colin is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Colin was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Colin.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 950 950 0
2024 1,038 1,038 0
2023 1,004 1,004 0
2022 1,170 1,170 0
2021 1,294 1,289 5
2020 1,182 1,177 5
2019 1,394 1,394 0
2018 1,479 1,479 0
2017 1,666 1,666 0
2016 2,052 2,052 0
2015 2,429 2,424 5
2014 2,888 2,883 5
2013 3,041 3,041 0
2012 3,022 3,022 0
2011 3,272 3,265 7
2010 3,489 3,489 0
2009 3,657 3,657 0
2008 3,732 3,732 0
2007 3,614 3,608 6
2006 3,866 3,861 5
2005 4,540 4,532 8
2004 5,147 5,122 25
2003 4,883 4,876 7
2002 3,315 3,315 0
2001 3,180 3,170 10
2000 3,264 3,256 8
1999 3,086 3,080 6
1998 3,083 3,076 7
1997 3,109 3,099 10
1996 2,965 2,954 11
1995 2,635 2,630 5
1994 2,823 2,815 8
1993 2,911 2,897 14
1992 2,642 2,631 11
1991 2,309 2,294 15
1990 2,801 2,782 19
1989 2,621 2,604 17
1988 2,273 2,258 15
1987 2,115 2,098 17
1986 1,706 1,690 16
1985 1,755 1,738 17
1984 1,787 1,768 19
1983 1,569 1,557 12
1982 1,543 1,536 7
1981 1,243 1,227 16
1980 1,210 1,196 14
1979 1,153 1,141 12
1978 951 946 5
1977 838 826 12
1976 800 790 10
1975 706 706 0
1974 672 666 6
1973 566 561 5
1972 573 566 7
1971 665 658 7
1970 631 624 7
1969 588 578 10
1968 502 502 0
1967 445 445 0
1966 403 403 0
1965 452 452 0
1964 390 390 0
1963 396 391 5
1962 350 350 0
1961 356 356 0
1960 302 295 7
1959 323 323 0
1958 281 281 0
1957 269 269 0
1956 286 286 0
1955 256 256 0
1954 244 244 0
1953 213 213 0
1952 198 198 0
1951 194 194 0
1950 195 195 0
1949 210 210 0
1948 221 221 0
1947 176 176 0
1946 148 148 0
1945 125 125 0
1944 237 237 0
1943 320 320 0
1942 349 349 0
1941 75 75 0
1940 58 58 0
1939 55 55 0
1938 55 55 0
1937 52 52 0
1936 46 46 0
1935 54 54 0
1934 64 64 0
1933 50 50 0
1932 44 44 0
1931 28 28 0
1930 43 43 0
1929 40 40 0
1928 52 52 0
1927 41 41 0
1926 45 45 0
1925 39 39 0
1924 41 41 0
1923 43 43 0
1922 34 34 0
1921 35 35 0
1920 42 42 0
1919 43 43 0
1918 45 45 0
1917 42 42 0
1916 42 42 0
1915 31 31 0
1914 23 23 0
1913 17 17 0
1912 12 12 0
1911 7 7 0
1910 5 5 0
1909 5 5 0
1908 5 5 0
1907 6 6 0
1905 5 5 0
1904 8 8 0
1902 5 5 0
1898 5 5 0
1897 8 8 0
1896 6 6 0
1895 5 5 0
1890 6 6 0
1889 6 6 0
1887 6 6 0
1886 7 7 0
1885 6 6 0
1883 5 5 0
1882 5 5 0
1881 5 5 0
1880 6 6 0

Top States for Colin (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 93
9%
NY 82
8%
IL 70
7%
PA 70
7%
MA 68
7%
NJ 58
6%
FL 53
5%
TX 47
5%
NC 37
4%
OH 32
3%
VA 31
3%
MI 28
3%
MD 24
2%
CT 22
2%
WA 22
2%
GA 21
2%
MN 19
2%
CO 18
2%
MO 18
2%
TN 17
2%
IN 17
2%
WI 17
2%
OR 13
1%
SC 12
1%
KY 11
1%
AL 11
1%
AZ 11
1%
NV 10
1%
RI 9
1%
NH 9
1%
KS 9
1%
IA 8
1%
LA 7
1%
UT 7
1%
DC 6
1%
ME 6
1%
OK 6
1%
MS 5
0%
AR 5
0%