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Updated August 7, 2024

Table of contents

Boy name origins & meanings

  • Greek : Famous one
  • Irish : Youth
  • Greek : Victor; Short form of Nicholas
  • Greek : Victorious people

What does Colin mean and stand for?

The name Colin is of Irish origin and means "youth." It is the Anglicized version of the Scottish name Cailean.

Syllables: 2

How Popular Is The Name Colin

Family name origins & meanings

  • French : from a reduced pet form of the personal name Nicolas (see Nicholas).
  • English : variant spelling of Collin.
  • A Colin from Brittany, France, is documented in St. Ours, Quebec, in 1669, with the secondary surname LaLiberté, which is often translated Liberty; Colin is often Americanized as <xref>Collins</xref>.

Famous people with this first name

Famous people who gave their babies this name

What Does the Name Colin Mean?

The name Colin is of Irish origin and means "pup." This one l spelling is currently very popular.

How Popular is the Name Colin?

Colin is the number 269 most popular boys name in the US, according to 2021 Social Security Administration data. Though still popular, Colin really saw its peak between 2003 and 2005.

However, it is the 8th most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

Popularity of the Name Colin in the United States

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Colin was at its peak popularity in October 2021.

Colin was searched for most often in the following states:

  1. District of Columbia
  2. Mississippi
  3. Massachussetts
  4. Pennsylvania
  5. Connecticut

Famous People Named Colin and Colin in Pop Culture

This particular spelling of Colin invokes images of Colin Powell, Colin Ford, Colin Firth, Colin Quinn, and Colin Kaepernick. Tom Hanks and Kevin James even chose this spelling variation for their sons. The name also appears in Harry Potter, The Secret Garden, Bones, and Gilmore Girls.

Pairs Well with These Middle Names

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