Meaning:
Its source is Nicholas, an English name meaning "Victorious people."
Languages:
This boy's name is used in English.
Alternative Spellings: Colen, Collen, Collyn and Colyn
Popularity:
The name Colin ranked 109th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics and 378th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.
This name first made its appearance on state popularity lists of the 1990s, and has been trending upward in usage ever since.
Narrative:
This surname is most likely a direct descendant of Colle, a medieval nickname for Nicholas.
Other derivations have been suggested. They include the Old Norse personal name Koli, meaning ''dark,'' a Middle English surname given to those living on property whose ownership was disputed, and the Gaelic name Coileain, meaning ''puppy.''