Collins Name Origin, Meaning and Family History

Collins Name Meaning: With an Anglo-Saxon origin, Collins is a diminutive form of Nicholas. It is also said the name comes from the Irish word "cuilein", which means "darling".

Several instances of the surname have been documented in England as far back as the twelth century, and is also mentioned in the Domesday book.

Discover how your Collins ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.

Surname Distribution

Census frequency by county

Name Concentrations Within England and Wales

Collins Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the Collins family

Profession Census Frequency
Scholar 6,595
General Labourer 764
Agricultural Labourer 669
Labourer 375
Domestic Servant 360
Coal Miner 340
Dress Maker 324
Living On Own Means 311
Laundress 244
General Servant Domestic 218
General Servant 200
Living On Her Own Means 193
Farm Labourer 192
Farmer 179
Gardener 164
Carpenter 161
General Domestic Servant 114
Cotton Weaver 114
House Keeper 110
Clerk 106
Cook Domestic Servant 103
Charwoman 99
Grocer 98
Tailor 97
Blacksmith 95

Collins Surname Variants Ranking

Rank Surname Match Census Frequency
1 Collins 100% 291,276
2 Collens 86% 3,638
3 Colins 86% 2,284
4 Callins 86% 1,206
5 Cullins 86% 436
6 Collines 88% 305
7 Cullens 71% 211
8 Collyns 86% 199
9 Collons 86% 193
10 Collans 86% 154
11 Coolins 86% 124

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The surname Collins is the most popular version of all its varients

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