Colin
Colin was the 343rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 950 babies. Its best year was 2004, when it ranked 85th with 5,122 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 171 places. More babies were named Colin in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Nicholas; also Gaelic Cailean · English, French, Scottish Gaelic
Say it KAH-lin /ˈkɑlɪn/
- Rank in 2025
- #343 boys, down 56 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 950boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20045,122 babies
- Total since 1880
- 134,151babies recorded
What does the name Colin mean?
Colin has two sources. In medieval England and France it was a pet form of Nicholas, built on the short form Coll plus the diminutive -in; DMNES derives Nicholas from Greek nikē, "victory", and laos, "people". Separately, Colin has been used to anglicize Scottish Gaelic Cailean and Irish Coileán, names linked with words for a young dog or whelp. Yonge's 1884 gloss "dove" reflects confusion with Columba and is not accepted.
Coll (Middle English, “short form of Nicholas”)Νικόλαος (Ancient Greek, “victory of the people”)Cailean (Scottish Gaelic, “personal name”)
How sure is this? Probable. Two unrelated sources share the spelling.
Other explanations you may read: means 'dove' (from Latin columba).
Related names: Collin, Cole, Nicholas, Collins.
See also: Greek names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Colin', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Nicholas', DMNES, Durham University
- Charlotte M. Yonge, History of Christian Names, new ed. (1884), index s.v. 'Colin' (19th-century work; used for dated usage facts only), Macmillan (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
Colin popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 445 since 1960.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #343 | 950 |
| 2020 | #287 | 1,177 |
| 2010 | #111 | 3,489 |
| 2000 | #117 | 3,256 |
| 1990 | #122 | 2,782 |
| 1980 | #204 | 1,196 |
| 1970 | #314 | 624 |
| 1960 | #463 | 295 |
| 1950 | #476 | 195 |
| 1940 | #822 | 58 |
| 1930 | #1,056 | 43 |
| 1920 | #1,093 | 42 |
| 1910 | #1,641 | 5 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | #910 | 6 |
| 1880 | #833 | 6 |
How popular is Colin, counting every spelling?
Colin is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #344 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #343 for Colin on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,006 boys in 2025.
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Colin?
950 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Colin (0.26 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Colin born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 9 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Colin.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Colin?
About 126,200 people born in the US named Colin are alive today, with a median age of 24; half are between 17 and 36. That makes Colin mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Colin by state
How common Colin was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Massachusetts (4.1×), New Hampshire (3.9×), District of Columbia (3.6×), Connecticut (3.3×), Rhode Island (2.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Idaho, West Virginia, Arkansas.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Colin: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Colin, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Colin · Sibling names for Colin
Questions about the name Colin
What does Colin mean?
Colin means “pet form of Nicholas; also Gaelic Cailean” (English, French, Scottish Gaelic origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Colin?
Colin was the 343rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 950 babies. Its best year was 2004, when it ranked 85th with 5,122 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 171 places. More babies were named Colin in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Colin a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Colin in the US.
Where is Colin most popular?
In 2021–2025, Colin was most common in Massachusetts (2.61 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Hampshire and District of Columbia.