BabyNameLens · Girl names · Boy names

Colin

“Young dog or pup; or a diminutive of Nicholas” — Irish/Scottish Gaelic, or Old French origin

Boy's name · #343 in the US (2025) · 2000s

Colin has appeared in US records since 1880 — best rank #85 (2004) · 133,706 babies named Colin all-time · 1 in 1,800 boys born in 2025.

Around the world: #63 in Sweden (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 42 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Colins

• Colin Powell — American general and diplomat (1937–2021)
• Colin Firth — English actor and producer
• Colin Farrell — Irish actor (born 1976)
• Colin MacLaurin — Scottish mathematician (1698–1746)
• Colin McRae — British racing driver (1958-2007)

In stories & tradition

• Colin Creevey — Harry Potter · Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Colin Mallory — Sliders
• Colin Wells — fictional human

What Colins become

Among 2,570 notable people named Colin:

Athletes appear 1.62× more often than among typical names — e.g. Colin McRae, British racing driver (1958-2007).

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

Privacy Policy · Terms of Service