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Origins of the Collins surname

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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

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Where do most Collinses live?

In 1921, most Collinses lived in London.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Collinses

How common is your surname?

63rd most common surname in the UK

We have 436,000 records for the Collins surname. The oldest one dates back to 1441.

Who were Collinses most likely to marry?

Smiths

&

Joneses

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Collinses.

What are the most common Collins first names?

  • John
  • William
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Collins family members

Common jobs for Collinses

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Collinses in 1921
Dressmaker

1,774

Laundress

1,551

Domestic Servant

1,149

General Servant Domestic

966

Charwoman

939

Common Male occupations for Collinses in 1921
General Labourer

2,238

Agricultural Labourer

2,172

Farm Labourer

1,192

Carpenter

1,101

Coal Miner

1,076

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We found over 480,000 family trees with the Collins surname

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