Collins Unisex

Popularity: #229 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: KOL-ins //ˈkɒl.ɪnz//

Origin: Irish; English

Meaning: Irish: 'descendant of Caileann'; English: 'young creature'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Collins has its roots in the Old French name "Colin," which itself is derived from the Latin "Colinus," a diminutive form of "Columba," meaning "dove." The name Colin was introduced into England after the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, where it evolved into various forms, including Collins, as a patronymic surname indicating "son of Colin." This transition reflects the linguistic shifts that occurred as Old French mingled with Old English, leading to the adoption of surnames based on given names during the medieval period. Historically, the name Collins has been associated with several notable figures.

One significant milestone is the use of the name in the 17th century, particularly in literary contexts. The name appears in various works of literature and has been borne by several saints, including Saint Colin, who is recognized in certain Christian traditions.

The name's presence in ecclesiastical contexts contributed to its enduring appeal, as it was often linked to themes of peace and purity, symbolized by the dove. Culturally, the name Collins has resonated through various traditions and has been associated with familial ties, particularly in the context of English-speaking countries.

The use of diminutive forms, such as Collie or Coll, has also been noted, reflecting a trend in affectionate naming practices. The name's association with qualities such as gentleness and harmony, stemming from its meaning related to the dove, has further solidified its place in cultural narratives.

Overall, Collins has maintained a presence in both historical and cultural contexts, reflecting a blend of linguistic heritage and symbolic significance.

Fictional characters named Collins

The following list of fictional characters named Collins 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.

Collins is a fictional character from the musical and film Rent. He is a close friend of the protagonist Mark and a passionate advocate for social justice.

Sibling suggestions

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

CallieCoraClaraCeliaCarmenCassandra

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Collins. 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.

ColleenCaitlinCarmenCeliaCoraCassandraCaitlynColin

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Collins was first seen in the United States in 1881.

Collins has ranked as high as #494 nationally, which occurred in 2023, and has been most popular in Texas, Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

In the past 5 years the name Collins has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Collins 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 Collins 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 Collins.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 1,334 48 1,286
2024 1,292 53 1,239
2023 1,334 62 1,272
2022 1,289 55 1,234
2021 1,048 47 1,001
2020 895 49 846
2019 813 48 765
2018 665 58 607
2017 546 52 494
2016 497 45 452
2015 457 52 405
2014 382 53 329
2013 293 45 248
2012 309 44 265
2011 237 60 177
2010 173 57 116
2009 37 30 7
2008 32 26 6
2007 33 33 0
2006 31 31 0
2005 35 35 0
2004 33 28 5
2003 29 22 7
2002 29 29 0
2001 33 33 0
2000 34 34 0
1999 33 33 0
1998 21 21 0
1997 38 38 0
1996 28 28 0
1995 25 25 0
1994 27 27 0
1993 26 26 0
1992 30 30 0
1991 24 24 0
1990 35 35 0
1989 31 31 0
1988 34 28 6
1987 39 39 0
1986 30 30 0
1985 28 28 0
1984 26 26 0
1983 26 20 6
1982 28 22 6
1981 31 31 0
1980 23 23 0
1979 27 27 0
1978 20 20 0
1977 19 19 0
1976 11 11 0
1975 19 19 0
1974 17 17 0
1973 15 15 0
1972 13 13 0
1971 30 30 0
1970 11 11 0
1969 16 16 0
1968 12 12 0
1967 11 11 0
1966 16 16 0
1965 21 21 0
1964 22 22 0
1963 27 27 0
1962 19 19 0
1961 20 20 0
1960 31 31 0
1959 20 20 0
1958 23 23 0
1957 30 30 0
1956 25 25 0
1955 26 26 0
1954 42 42 0
1953 48 48 0
1952 29 29 0
1951 23 23 0
1950 31 31 0
1949 39 39 0
1948 26 26 0
1947 27 27 0
1946 35 35 0
1945 21 21 0
1944 31 31 0
1943 28 28 0
1942 21 21 0
1941 24 24 0
1940 32 32 0
1939 24 24 0
1938 24 24 0
1937 21 21 0
1936 25 25 0
1935 26 26 0
1934 25 25 0
1933 31 31 0
1932 29 29 0
1931 21 21 0
1930 19 19 0
1929 18 18 0
1928 26 26 0
1927 29 29 0
1926 43 43 0
1925 21 21 0
1924 28 28 0
1923 37 37 0
1922 43 43 0
1921 43 43 0
1920 41 41 0
1919 34 34 0
1918 34 34 0
1917 30 30 0
1916 25 25 0
1915 47 47 0
1914 47 47 0
1913 31 31 0
1912 12 12 0
1911 10 10 0
1910 10 10 0
1909 10 10 0
1908 12 12 0
1907 14 14 0
1906 11 11 0
1905 6 6 0
1904 11 11 0
1903 6 6 0
1902 7 7 0
1901 7 7 0
1900 16 16 0
1899 7 7 0
1898 5 5 0
1896 5 5 0
1895 7 7 0
1894 7 7 0
1891 9 9 0
1889 7 7 0
1888 6 6 0
1886 5 5 0
1885 5 5 0
1883 9 9 0
1881 8 8 0

Top States for Collins (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
TX 155
13%
NC 73
6%
AL 58
5%
GA 58
5%
TN 58
5%
FL 46
4%
OH 42
3%
MO 41
3%
IN 39
3%
CA 37
3%
PA 35
3%
MN 34
3%
LA 34
3%
NE 33
3%
IL 32
3%
OK 32
3%
UT 30
2%
IA 30
2%
VA 29
2%
KY 29
2%
KS 27
2%
CO 26
2%
SC 24
2%
MI 24
2%
AR 22
2%
MS 19
2%
WI 19
2%
ID 18
1%
NY 17
1%
WA 16
1%
AZ 15
1%
SD 13
1%
MA 11
1%
MT 10
1%
OR 8
1%
MD 8
1%
NJ 8
1%
ND 7
1%
WV 6
0%