Colin is a boy's name of French origin. Its meaning is not recorded in the standard references we check — we would rather tell you that plainly than guess. In 2024 it was given to 1,035 boys in the United States.
Colin at a glance
Gender
Boy name
Origin
French · Irish & Celtic
Meaning
Not recorded in standard references
Pronunciation
/ˈkɒlɪn/
Also spelled
Nicolas
About the name Colin
Colin belongs to the French and Irish & Celtic tradition. Its roots are documented, even though its precise meaning is not recorded in the standard references — an honest gap we prefer to a confident guess. It travels in a few spellings: Nicolas.
In the United States, Colin first appears in Social Security records in 1880. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #85 in 2004, and in 2024 1,035 babies received the name — 132,757 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.
The meaning of Colin is not recorded in the standard references we check. Rather than repeat an unsourced claim, we leave it open — its French origin is documented, but its exact meaning is not.
Is Colin a boy or girl name?
Colin is a boy name. In 2024, 1,035 babies received the name in the US.
What origin is the name Colin?
Colin comes from the French and Irish & Celtic tradition. It is also spelled Nicolas.
How popular is the name Colin?
Colin first appears in US records in 1880. Its best-ever ranking was #85 in 2004, and 1,035 babies were given the name in 2024.
How do you pronounce Colin?
Colin is pronounced /ˈkɒlɪn/ (IPA).
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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.
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