Origins of the Collins surname

What does the name Collins mean?

The Collins surname has arrived in a number of different ways, though it has been present in Britain as far back as the 1100s. Collins is most often believed to be Scottish and English, a patronymic name that comes from someone who would be the son or descendant of a person named Colin. The Collins surname also can have Viking roots, deriving from the Old Norse 'Kollungr' (dark), given as a descriptive name to someone who is particularly dark or swarthy of complexion and their descendants. Collins can also be Irish (where it is the 30th most common name on the island), and be an anglicisation of the medieval name 'Ua Cuilein'. More rarely, the Collins surname can be Welsh, and be topographical in nature. In these instances it would refer to someone who lived at or near a Collen (hazel grove) and their descendants.

Alternative variations of the name Collins

Collins, Collin, Colins, Collens, Collen