Pronunciation | /ˈkɒlɪnz/ |
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Language(s) | English |
Origin | |
Language(s) | Middle English, Irish |
Word/name | 1. Colin , Collin, Coll 2. Ó Coileáin , Mac Coileáin |
Derivation | 1. pet form of Nicholas 2. relative or son of Coileáin |
Meaning | 1. 'victory-people' 2. 'puppy, young dog' |
Other names | |
Variant form(s) | Collin, Colling, Coling, Collings, Colings, Collis, Coliss, Collen, and Collens |
[1] [2] [3] |
Collins is a surname. There are a lot of alternative spellings or related surnames. [4]
The Domesday Book (compiled in 1086) was the first to document names in England and Wales and at this time only the upper classes were literate. During the time between this and the first census of 1801 names continually changed due to the illiterate nature of the British population. Indeed, the need to be able to complete such documents may be a key factor in the change to fixed spellings.
The earliest documented evidence of the name in England dates back as far as the twelfth and thirteenth centuries where several instances have been recorded. One Colinus de Andresia appears in the pipe rolls of Berkshire in 1191, while a Colinus is mentioned in Hartopp's Register of the Freemen of Leicester recorded in 1196.
In Ireland, Collins is one of the most common surnames, ranked number 30. [5]