Collin is the American cousin of Colin, a spelling that picked up a second "l" somewhere between the old country and the new. Its roots reach back to the Gaelic cailean, "whelp" or "young pup," by way of medieval France, where Colin served as a pet form of Nicolas. The double-l variant has been the dominant American form since the 1980s, appearing on everything from football rosters to literary dust jackets. Currently sitting at 489, it keeps the brisk, friendly snap of the original while feeling a touch more homegrown, a name built for a firm handshake and an easy smile.
Popularity
1880 to today
US SSA data. Lower rank number means more popular. A flat line at the top of the chart means the name did not rank in the top 1000.
Nicknames
No common nicknames.
Middle name ideas
All middle names for CollinFamous people
None notable in our records yet.
In fiction
No fictional associations tracked.
Sibling name ideas
- Andy
- Sylas
- Lucian
- Ronin
- Atreus
Similar energy
- Andy
- Sylas
- Lucian
- Ronin
- Atreus
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Names like Collin
Andy
Falling· boy
Short form of Andrew, from Greek Andreas, 'manly' or 'brave'
Sylas
Rising· boy
Variant of Silas, from Latin Silvanus, 'of the forest'
Lucian
Rising· boy
From Latin Lucius, rooted in lux, 'light'
Ronin
Falling· boy
Japanese, 'wave man'; a masterless samurai
Atreus
Rising· boy
Greek mythological king of Mycenae, father of Agamemnon