Colin
A male given name A diminutive of the male given name Nicholas, from Ancient Greek.
Every Colin since 1880 — 134,151 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Colin
Colin is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #343 in 2025 with 950 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 134,151 American babies have been named Colin. Its peak came in 2004, when 5,147 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2000s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Colin stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Colin year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 950 | #343 |
| 2024 | — | — | 1,038 | #335 |
| 2023 | — | — | 1,004 | #334 |
| 2022 | — | — | 1,170 | #293 |
| 2021 | 5 | #15,766 | 1,289 | #269 |
| 2020 | 5 | #15,643 | 1,177 | #287 |
| 2019 | — | — | 1,394 | #260 |
| 2018 | — | — | 1,479 | #249 |
| 2017 | — | — | 1,666 | #228 |
| 2016 | — | — | 2,052 | #198 |
| 2015 | 5 | #17,030 | 2,424 | #172 |
| 2014 | 5 | #17,148 | 2,883 | #142 |
| 2013 | — | — | 3,041 | #125 |
| 2012 | — | — | 3,022 | #124 |
| 2011 | 7 | #13,682 | 3,265 | #121 |
| 2010 | — | — | 3,489 | #111 |
| 2009 | — | — | 3,657 | #113 |
| 2008 | — | — | 3,732 | #114 |
| 2007 | 6 | #15,930 | 3,608 | #119 |
| 2006 | 5 | #17,728 | 3,861 | #111 |
| 2005 | 8 | #12,073 | 4,532 | #95 |
| 2004 | 25 | #5,096 | 5,122 | #85 |
| 2003 | 7 | #12,695 | 4,876 | #88 |
| 2002 | — | — | 3,315 | #116 |
| 2001 | 10 | #9,531 | 3,170 | #125 |
| 2000 | 8 | #10,956 | 3,256 | #117 |
| 1995 | 5 | #13,884 | 2,630 | #134 |
| 1990 | 19 | #4,906 | 2,782 | #122 |
| 1985 | 17 | #4,496 | 1,738 | #156 |
| 1980 | 14 | #5,029 | 1,196 | #204 |
| 1975 | — | — | 706 | #273 |
| 1970 | 7 | #6,469 | 624 | #314 |
| 1965 | — | — | 452 | #360 |
| 1960 | 7 | #5,266 | 295 | #463 |
| 1955 | — | — | 256 | #462 |
| 1950 | — | — | 195 | #476 |
| 1945 | — | — | 125 | #534 |
| 1940 | — | — | 58 | #822 |
| 1935 | — | — | 54 | #852 |
| 1930 | — | — | 43 | #1,056 |
| 1925 | — | — | 39 | #1,126 |
| 1920 | — | — | 42 | #1,093 |
| 1915 | — | — | 31 | #1,163 |
| 1910 | — | — | 5 | #1,641 |
| 1905 | — | — | 5 | #1,270 |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | 5 | #1,113 |
| 1890 | — | — | 6 | #910 |
| 1885 | — | — | 6 | #853 |
| 1880 | — | — | 6 | #833 |
Famous people named Colin
- Colin Firth Actor · b. 1960
- Colin Powell Politician · b. 1937
- Colin Chapman Engineer · 1928–1982
- Colin Maclaurin Mathematician · 1698–1746
- Colin Wilson Writer · 1931–2013
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Colin mean?
A male given name A diminutive of the male given name Nicholas, from Ancient Greek.
How popular is the name Colin in 2025?
Colin ranked #343 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 950 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Colin?
134,151 babies have been named Colin in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Colin most popular?
Colin peaked in 2004, when 5,147 newborns received the name.
Is Colin a boy or girl name?
Colin is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Colin rising or falling?
Colin is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Colin?
Well-known people named Colin include Colin Firth (actor), Colin Powell (politician), Colin Chapman (engineer).