Colin ( given name ) - wikipedia Colin ( given name ) Colin Pronunciation / ˈkoʊlɪn / or / ˈkɒlɪn / Gender masculine Origin Meaning ( 1 ) short for Nicolas ; ( 2 ) Gaelic cuilen `` whelp ''. Look up coileáin in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Colin is an English - language masculine given name. Colin is usually pronounced / ˈkɒlɪn / KO - lin, although some ( primarily in the US ) use / ˈkoʊlɪn / KOH - lin. The English name has two distinct origins : A diminutive form of `` Colle '', itself an Old French short form of the name Nicolas ( Nicholas ). This name, but not the anglicized Gaelic name, is also found in the spelling Collin. This name is formed by the Old French diminutive - in also found in Robin. An anglicized form of the Gaelic name Cuilen, Cailean, modern Irish spelling Coileáin, meaning `` whelp, cub ''. The Old Irish word for `` whelp, '' is cuilén. The Scottish Gaelic name is recorded in the spelling Colin from as early as the 14th century. MacCailean was a patronymic used by Clan Campbell, after Cailean Mór ( d. 1296 ). As a surname, Colin can be derived from the given name, but can also be of unrelated ( French ) origin. The Irish patronymic Ó Coileáin gave rise to the surname Cullen ( which is also the anglicization of the unrelated patronymic Ó Cuilinn ). Colin ranked 319th most popular name England and Wales in 1996 and 684th most popular in 2014. It has been moderately popular in the United States and was listed in the top 100 boys names in the U.S. in 2005. In Scotland it ranked 302 in 2014, but in Ireland it is more popular, ranking 88th in 2006. In the US, Colin has peaked in 2004 at rank 84, and has substantially declined since ( rank 196 as of 2016 ). The form Collin reached the peak of its popularity somewhat earlier, at rank 115 in 1996, and has declined to rank 298 as of 2016. Taken together, the names Colin and Collin accounted for 0.16 % ( about 1 in 620 ) of boys named in the US in 2016, down from 0.4 % ( one in 250 ) in 2004. Contents 1 People called Colin 1.1 Medieval and early modern 1.2 Modern 1.2. 1 A -- G 1.2. 2 H -- Z 2 Fictional characters 3 See also 4 References People called Colin Medieval and early modern Further information : Colin Campbell Cuilén mac Ildulb ( died 971 ), King of Alba Cailean Mór ( died 1296 ), Scottish chief, progenitor of Clan Campbell Colin Campbell, 1st Earl of Argyll ( d. 1493 ) Colin Campbell, 3rd Earl of Argyll ( d. 1529 ) Colin Campbell, 6th Earl of Argyll ( d. 1584 ) Modern A -- G Colin Baker, British actor Colin Bean, British actor Colin Bell, Manchester City and England footballer Colin Blakely, Irish actor Colin Bland, South African cricketer Colin Blunstone, singer from the Zombies Colin Braun, American race car driver Colin Burgess ( musician ) ( born 1946 ), Australian Musician Colin C. Berry, Canadian actor Colin Calderwood, Scottish footballer, coach and manager Colin Campbell Cooper, American Impressionist painter Colin Campbell Mitchell, British Army lieutenant - colonel and politician Colin Campbell, 1st Baron Clyde, ( 1792 -- 1863 ) Scottish soldier See Colin Campbell ( disambiguation ) for more people with this name Colin Chapman, founder of Lotus Cars Colin Clark ( disambiguation ) Colin Clive, British actor Colin Coates ( born 1946 ), Australian ice speed skater Colin Cowdrey, English cricketer Colin Cowherd, American sports radio personality Colin Croft, West Indian cricketer Colin Crouch, British political scientist Colin Cunningham ( swimmer ), British swimmer Colin Cunningham, American film and TV actor Colin Davis, English conductor Colin Delaney, American professional wrestler Colin Edwards, American motorcycle racer Colin Egglesfield, American actor Colin Emerle, American musician Colin Falvey, Irish - Libyan footballer Colin Farrell, Irish actor Colin Ferguson ( actor ), Canadian actor Colin Ferguson ( mass murderer ), American mass murderer Colin Firth ( born 1960 ), British actor Colin Fox ( actor ), Canadian actor Colin Greening, Canadian pro hockey player Colin Greenwood, bassist for rock band Radiohead Colin Griffiths, comedian H -- z Colin Hanks, American actor Colin Hay ( born 1953 ), Scottish - Australian lead singer of Men at Work Colin Hendry ( born 1965 ), Scottish footballer Colin Huggins ( born 1978 ), American classical pianist and busker Colin Jackson, Welsh hurdler Colin Jost, American comedian, screenwriter, and TV actor Colin Kaepernick, American NFL football player Colin Kelly, American aviator and war hero of the Second World War Colin Lane ( born 1965 ), Australian comedian Colin Mackenzie, ( 1754 -- 1821 ), Scottish soldier and surveyor See Colin Mackenzie ( disambiguation ) for more people with this name Colin Maclaurin, Scottish mathematician Colin Mathura - Jeffree, New Zealand actor / model / celebrity Colin McAllister, Scottish interior designer and television presenter. Colin McComb, American game designer Colin McGinn, British philosopher Colin McRae ( 1968 -- 2007 ), Scottish rally driver Colin Meads, New Zealand rugby union player Colin Meloy, American guitarist and singer in The Decemberists Colin Mochrie, Scottish Canadian actor / improv comedian Colin Montgomerie, Scottish golfer Colin Morgan, Irish actor Colin Moulding, bassist and singer for band XTC Colin Murray, British radio DJ and television presenter Colin Needham, founder of the Internet Movie Database Colin Newman, singer and guitarist for band Wire Colin O'Donoghue, Irish actor Colin Pillinger, British planetary scientist Colin Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Quinn, American comedian Colin Raston, Australian chemist and Ig Nobel Laureate Colin Reitz, British long - distance runner Colin Richardson, music producer Colin P. Rourke, British mathematician Colin Slade, New Zealand rugby union player Colin Stagg, the man wrongly imprisoned in the Rachel Nickell murder case Colin Touchin, British musician and conductor Colin Turnbull, sociologist and author Colin Vearncombe, singer known as Black Colin Ward, political writer Colin Welland, British actor and screenwriter Colin Wilson, British writer See Colin Wilson ( disambiguation ) for more people with this name Colin Winter, bishop Fictional characters Colin Creevey, fictional character from the Harry Potter series Colin Craven, fictional character from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett Colin Clout, fictional poetic folk figure, appearing first in the works of John Skelton and later in many works by Edmund Spenser, including his first major poetic work The Shepheardes Calender Colin the Vet See also Colin ( disambiguation ) List of Scottish Gaelic given names List of Irish - language given names Collin ( disambiguation ) Cullen ( surname ) Cullinane References Jump up ^ Te Reo : Journal of the Linguistic Society of New Zealand, Volume 29 ( 1986 ), p. 280. Jump up ^ Electronic Dictionary of the Irish language, s.v. `` cuilen '' : culían, - é ( o ) in, - íoin, - íuin, - én, - ian, coileán, cuilen, cuilenu, cuilen `` pup, whelp, cub ; kitten ''. It is used as a `` laudatory term of warriors '' in Old Irish, e.g. Táin Bó Cúalnge v. 1932 ( bruth ┐ barand in chulíuin se ( sc. Etarcomul ). Jump up ^ Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness, Inverness Gaelic Society, vol. 22 ( 1900 ), p. 158. `` Cailean or Colin appears in Gaelic about 1400 - 1450 as Cailin ; in charters it is Colin as far back as 1300 - 1400, then the name of the earliest Campbells, a South Perthshire name, probably a dialect form for the older Culen or ( Latinised ) Caniculus, whelp. '' Jump up ^ http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/baby-names--england-and-wales/2014/baby-names-in-england-and-wales--2014.html#tab-Further-information Jump up ^ http://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/popularnames.cgi Jump up ^ http://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/vital-events/names/babies-first-names/full-lists-of-babies-first-names-2010-to-2014 Jump up ^ `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2008 - 03 - 27. Retrieved 2008 - 03 - 19. Jump up ^ http://www.cso.ie/releasespublications/documents/births_d_m/current/babynames.pdf Jump up ^ ssa.gov, behindthename.com This page or section lists people that share the same given name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article. Gaelic given names Native masculine names Aodh Aodhán Aonghus Art Breandán Breasal Brian Cailean Cainnech Caoimhín Cathal Cearbhall Cian Cianán Ciarán Cinnéididh Colm Conall Conán Conchobhar Cormac Criofan Dáire Déaglán Diarmaid Domhnall Donn Donnchadh Eachann Éibhear Eochaidh Eóghan Fearghal Fearghus Féilim Fiach Fínghin Fionn Fionnbharr Fionnlagh Fionntán Flann Garaidh Iarlaith Lorcan Lughaidh Muircheartach Muiredach Muirgheas Murchadh Niall Oisín Rían Rónán Ruairí Searbhreathach Tadhg Toirdelbach Native feminine names Aíbinn Aifric Áine Aisling Aoife Barrdhubh Bébinn Bríd Cacht Caoimhe Ciara Clíona Clodagh Cobhlaith Dearbhail Dearbhfhorghaill Deirbhile Deirdre Dubhchobhlaigh Eithne Éadaoin Feidhelm Fíona Fionnuala Forbflaith Fíneamhain Gormflaith Gráinne Íde Lasairfhíona Meabh Mór Muirgheal Muirenn Niamh Nuala Órlaith Sadhbh Saoirse Síthmaith Sláine Sorcha Úna Germanic - derived masculine names Amhlaoibh Annraoi Dubhghall Éamonn Gearóid Gofraid Ímar Lachlann Liam Maghnus Raghnall Risteárd Roibeárd Séarlas Somhairle Tiobóid Tormond Ualtar Ùisdean Bible - derived masculine names Abracham Adhamh Árón Biniáimin Daibhí Dainéal Eafráim Gaibrial Íosac Maitiú Maois Mícheál ( Maidhc ) Nóe Seán Séamus Seosamh Síomón Solamh Tomás Bible - derived feminine names Abigeál Ánna Eábha Eilís Léá Madailéin Máire Mallaidh Náoimí Ráichéal Ríobhca Rút Sinéad Siobhán Seacailín Seosaimhín Latin / Greek - derived masculine names Aindréas Antóin Críostóir Damhnaic Pádraig Proinsias Giolla Críost Gréagóir Labhrás León Máirtín Nioclás Nollaig Peadar Pilib Pól Seoirse Stíofán Téodóir Uinseann See also Goidelic languages Irish language Scottish Gaelic language Manx language Irish name List of Scottish Gaelic given names Scottish Gaelic name Irish genealogy Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Colin_(given_name)&oldid=832826311 '' Categories : Given names Irish masculine given names Scottish masculine given names English masculine given names Hidden categories : All set index articles Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Italiano Norsk Svenska Tiếng Việt Edit links This page was last edited on 28 March 2018, at 06 : 04. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what does the name collin mean in irish
Answer: "whelp, cub"