Given name & surname
Collins
“descendant of Coileán”·“knee + nipplewort”
Collins is a masculine given name with more than one origin.
Meaning & origin
What it means
As an Irish and Manx surname, it goes back to a word meaning “descendant of Coileán.” As a Slovene surname, it goes back to a word meaning “knee + nipplewort.”
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Where it comes from
In English use, Collins has a related form in Colin. An origin associated with Colin is Scottish.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1881. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Collins through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 14,465
- 3,686 boys · 10,779 girls
- Most popular year
- 2023
- 1,334 babies
- 2025
- 1,334
- #241 for girls · #2,684 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +84%
- Rising fast
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 5% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 1,286 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 241 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 90.6% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 48 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (144). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 6,872 as a first name in 2020; 317,373 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Collins’s family of names
Collins has a related form in Colin. In English usage, Collins as a surname has a related form in Collis. In English usage, Collins as a surname has a related form in COLLYNS.
Inner ring: spellings · outer: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 5
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
People named Collins
- Collins JohnDutch footballerborn 1985
- ShaboozeyAmerican singer (born 1995)
- Collins Adomako-MensahGhanaian politicianborn 1983
- Collins Owusu AmankwahGhanaian politicianborn 1980
- Collins ChabaneSouth African politician (1960-2015)
- Collins SichenjeKenian association football playerborn 2003
- Collins Valentine Filimonbadminton playerborn 1998
- Collins PennieAmerican actorborn 1985
- Collins KeyAmerican YouTuber and magicianborn 1996
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Collins, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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“of the victorious people”
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Kaia
Kaia is a variant of Kai. A connection with the sea occurs in Hawaiian interpretations. Kai should not be applied automatically to the European name.
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Kaliyah
“a darling girl; sweetheart”
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>99% girls
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“of the olive tree; one who is peaceful”
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>99% girls
Kali
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3% boys · 97% girls