Collins (surname) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The surname Collins is a very common name with interesting roots in different parts of Britain and Ireland. It has several possible origins, showing how names can change over time and across different cultures.

One main origin comes from English and Scottish traditions. Here, Collins is a patronymic surname, which means it comes from a father's name. It's based on the name Colin, which is a shorter, more familiar form of the name Nicholas.

Another possible origin is from Norse languages. It might come from the Old Norse personal name "Kollungr." This name is related to "koli," which in Old English became "Cola." Both "koli" and "Cola" mean someone who is "swarthy" or "dark-haired."

In Ireland, Collins is a truly native Irish name. The medieval (old) version of the surname was Ua Cuiléin. Today, it's usually spelled Ó Coileáin. It's one of the most common surnames in Ireland, ranking as the 30th most frequent.

For Welsh families, the name might come from "Collen," which means "hazel" or "hazel grove." Many Welsh surnames are similar to English ones. While English names often add "SON" (like Johnson), Welsh names might just add an "S" (like Phillips). Collins could have started this way too.

Long ago, names changed a lot because most people couldn't read or write. The Domesday Book, a famous record from 1086, was one of the first times names were written down in England and Wales. But only the rich could read back then. It wasn't until the first census in 1801 that names started to have fixed spellings. This need to write down names for official documents probably helped people stick to one spelling.

The name "Collins" first appeared in records in England around the 1100s and 1200s. For example, a "Colinus de Andresia" was mentioned in records from Berkshire in 1191. The name "Colinc" also shows up in the Domesday Book. The personal name "Colin," from which "Collins" comes, is even older. Kings and saints like Ceawlin and Caelin had names related to Colin.

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Famous People Named Collins

Many people throughout history have carried the surname Collins. Here are some notable individuals from different fields:

In Sports

Aaron Collins (born 1997), a Welsh footballer.
Alex Collins (American football) (born 1994), an American football player.
Albert Collins (footballer) (1899–1969), an English footballer.
Anthony Collins (American football) (born 1985), an American football player.
Chris Collins (basketball) (born 1974), an American basketball player and coach.
Christine Collins (rower) (born 1969), an American rower.
Danny Collins (footballer) (born 1980), a Welsh footballer.
David Collins (rower) (born 1969), an American rower.
Doug Collins (basketball) (born 1951), a well-known NBA player and coach.
Eddie Collins (1887–1951), a famous American baseball player and manager.
Eoin Collins (born 1968), an Irish tennis player.
Gary Collins (American football) (born 1940), an American football player for the Cleveland Browns.
Glen Collins (American football) (born 1959), an American football player.
Ian Collins (tennis) (1903–1975), a British tennis player.
Jalen Collins (born 1993), an American football player.
James Collins (born 1983), a Welsh footballer.
Jason Collins (born 1978), an American basketball player.
Jerry Collins (1980–2015), a Samoan-born New Zealand rugby player.
Jim Collins (ice hockey) (born 1951), a Canadian ice hockey player.
Jimmy Collins (1870–1943), an American baseball player.
Kerry Collins, an American football quarterback in the National Football League.
Kim Collins (born 1976), a runner from St Kitts and Nevis.
Landon Collins (born 1994), an American football safety.
Mardy Collins, an American basketball player.
Michael Collins (baseball) (born 1984), an Australian baseball player.
Nick Collins (born 1983), an American football player.
Pedro Collins, a West Indian cricketer from Barbados.
Phil Collins (baseball) (1901–1948), a Major League baseball pitcher.
Rip Collins (pitcher) (1896–1968), an American Major League Baseball player.
Sherron Collins (born 1987), an American basketball player.
Sonny Collins (born 1953), an American football running back.
Steve Collins (born 1964), an Irish boxer.
Susan Collins (artist) (born 1964), an English artist.
Terry Collins (born 1949), an American baseball manager.
Todd Collins (quarterback) (born 1971), an American football quarterback.
Tony Collins (footballer) (1926–2021), the first black manager in the English Football League.
Tyler Collins (baseball) (born 1990), an American baseball player.
Zach Collins (born 1997), an American basketball player.

In Arts and Entertainment

Albert Collins (1932–1993), a famous American blues musician.
Allen Collins (1952–1990), an American guitarist.
An Collins, a 17th-century English poet.
Andrew Collins (broadcaster) (born 1965), a British journalist and broadcaster.
Andy Collins (TV presenter) (born 1970), a British television personality.
Anne Collins (contralto) (1943–2009), an English opera singer.
Arthur Collins (singer) (1864–1933), an American singer.
Ashley Collins (born 1967), an American artist.
Bianca Collins (born 1988), an American actress.
Billy Collins (born 1941), a well-known American poet.
Bootsy Collins (born 1951), an American funk bassist, singer, and songwriter.
Brent Collins (1941–1988), an American actor.
Cal Collins (1933–2001), an American jazz guitarist.
Carla Collins (born 1965), a Canadian comedian, actress, and TV host.
Catfish Collins (1943–2010), an American guitarist and brother of Bootsy Collins.
Cecil Collins (artist) (1908–1989), a British artist.
Charles Allston Collins (1828–1873), a British Pre-Raphaelite artist.
Charles Collins (actor) (1904–1999), an American actor.
Chris Collins (musician) (born 1967), an American musician.
Christopher Collins (1949–1994), an American actor and voice artist.
Clifton Collins Jr. (born 1970), an American actor.
Coi Leray (born 1997), an American rapper and singer.
Dean Collins (actor) (born 1990), an American actor.
Dolly Collins (1933–1995), a British folk singer.
Dorothy Collins (1926–1994), an American actress and recording artist.
Edwyn Collins, a Scottish musician.
Eric Collins (born 1969), an American sports announcer.
Felicia Collins (born 1964), an American musician.
Gemma Collins (born 1981), an English media personality.
Glenda Collins (born 1943), a British pop singer.
Gregor Collins (born 1976), an American writer, actor, and producer.
Jackie Collins (1937–2015), a British novelist.
James Collins (songwriter), a Canadian songwriter, actor, and singer.
Jessica Collins (born 1971), an American actress.
Jessie Collins (born 1983), an American actress.
Joan Collins (born 1933), a famous British actress.
Joe Collins (1922–1989), an American baseball player.
Joely Collins (born 1972), a Canadian actress and producer.
John D. Collins (born 1942), a British actor known for Allo 'Allo.
John Collins (jazz guitarist) (1913–2001), an American jazz guitarist.
John Collins (Australian musician) (born 1971), an Australian bass player for Powderfinger.
Jose Collins (1887–1958), an English actress and singer.
Joyce Collins (1930–2010), an American jazz pianist and singer.
Judy Collins (born 1939), an American singer and songwriter.
Justin Lee Collins (born 1974), a British comedian.
Karl Collins (born 1971), an English actor.
Kate Collins (actress) (born 1959), an American actress.
Keri Collins (born 1978), a Welsh director and writer for film and TV.
Kevin Collins (American actor) (born 1972), an American actor.
Lily Collins (born 1989), a British-American actress and model.
Lorrie Collins (1942–2018), an American country and rockabilly singer.
Lottie Collins (1865–1910), an English singer and dancer.
Lui Collins (born 1950), an American folk singer.
Lyn Collins (1948–2005), an American singer.
Marcus Collins (singer) (born 1988), a British singer.
Max Allan Collins (born 1948), an American mystery writer.
Max Collins (musician) (born 1978), an American musician.
Max Collins (actress) (born 1992), a Filipino American actress and model.
May Collins (1903–1955), an American actress.
Mel Collins (born 1947), a British musician.
Michelle Collins (born 1962), a British actress.
Misha Collins (born 1974), an American actor.
Mo Collins (born 1965), a comedian from MADtv.
Natasha Collins (1976–2008), an English actress and model.
Nicolas Collins (born 1954), an American composer.
Noel Collins (1936–2011), a British actor.
Pauline Collins (born 1940), a British actress.
Petra Collins (born 1992), a Canadian photographer and fashion designer.
Phil Collins (born 1951), a famous English drummer, singer, and actor.
Ray Collins (actor) (1889–1965), an American actor.
Ray Collins (rock musician) (1936–2012), a rock musician.
Rob Collins (actor) (born 1979), an Australian actor.
Russell Collins (1897–1965), an American actor.
Sandra Collins (born 19??), an American DJ.
Shirley Collins (born 1935), a British folk singer.
Simon Collins (born 1976), a Canadian musician.
Stephen Collins (born 1947), an American actor.
Suzanne Collins (born 1962), a famous American writer known for The Hunger Games.
Suzanne Collins (actress) (born 1978), an English actress.
Tai Collins (born 1962), an American model, actress, and screenwriter.
Tess Collins (born 19??), an American novelist and theatre manager.
Tru Collins (born 1986), an American actress and singer.
Tyler Collins (singer) (born 1965), an American singer.
Wilkie Collins (1824–1889), a British writer.

In Science and Exploration

Eileen Collins (born 1956), an American astronaut, the first female Space Shuttle pilot and commander.
Francis Collins (born 1950), an American geneticist, known for his work on the Human Genome Project.
Floyd Collins (1887–1925), an American cave explorer.
Guy N. Collins (1872–1938), an American botanist and geneticist.
J. Lawton Collins (1896–1987), an American general and Army Chief of Staff.
Joseph Henry Collins (1841–1916), a mining engineer and geologist.
Joseph T. Collins (1939–2012), an American herpetologist (someone who studies reptiles and amphibians).
Judson Dwight Collins (1823–1852), an early Methodist missionary to China.
Michael Collins (astronaut) (1930–2021), an American astronaut, a member of the historic Apollo 11 crew that went to the Moon.
Michael P. Collins, a Canadian structural engineer.
Rory Collins (born 19??), a British epidemiologist (someone who studies how diseases spread).
Samuel Collins (physicist) (1898–1984), a physicist at MIT.
William Henry Collins (1878–1937), a Canadian geologist.

In Politics and Public Service

Barbara-Rose Collins (1939–2021), an American politician.
Bernie Collins (1935–2018), a Canadian politician.
Cardiss Collins (1931–2013), an American politician.
Charles E. Collins (politician) (1929–2012), a candidate for president of the United States.
Chris Collins (New York politician) (born 1950), a former U.S. Representative.
Damian Collins (born 1974), a British Conservative Party politician.
David Collins (lieutenant governor) (1754–1810), the first Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemens Land (now Tasmania).
Donald Collins (Maine politician) (1925–2018), an American politician in Maine.
Doug Collins (politician) (born 1966), an American politician.
Edward Collins (Irish politician) (1941–2019), an Irish politician.
Francis Dolan Collins (1841–1891), an American politician.
Gail Collins (born 1945), an American journalist and author.
Godfrey Collins (1875–1936), a British politician.
Jacinta Collins (born 1962), an Australian politician.
Jack Collins (politician) (born 1943), an American politician in New Jersey.
Jacqueline Y. Collins (born 1949), an American politician.
James M. Collins (1916–1989), an American politician.
Jane Collins (born 1962), a British Member of the European Parliament.
John Collins (delegate) (1717–1795), a Rhode Island delegate to the Continental Congress.
John F. Collins (1919–1995), a Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts.
Judith Collins (born 1959), a New Zealand politician.
Julie Collins (born 1971), an Australian politician.
LeRoy Collins (1909–1991), the 33rd Governor of Florida.
Linda Collins-Smith (1962–2019), an American politician.
Mac Collins (1944–2018), an American politician.
Martha Layne Collins (born 1936), a Democratic Governor of Kentucky.
Mary Collins (politician) (born 1940), a Canadian politician.
Michael Collins (Irish leader) (1890–1922), a key figure in Irish history.
Nancy Adams Collins (born 1947), a politician in Mississippi.
Newton Collins (1819–1903), an American businessman.
Patrick Collins (mayor) (1844–1905), an Irish-born American politician.
Ross A. Collins (1880–1968), an American Congressman from Mississippi.
Sandy Collins (politician) (born 1978), a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly.
Seward Collins (1899–1952), an American publisher.
Shirley Collins (politician) (born 1952), a Canadian politician.
Stephen Collins (politician) (1847–1925), a British Liberal politician.
Susan Collins (born 1952), an American politician.
Thomas Collins (governor) (1732–1789), an American lawyer and Governor of Delaware.
Thomas Christopher Collins (born 1947), a Canadian Roman Catholic Cardinal.
Victor Collins, Baron Stonham (1903–1971), a British politician.
William Collins (Lord Provost) (1817–1895), a Scottish temperance activist.
William Collins (New York politician) (1818–1878), a U.S. congressman from New York.
William A. Collins (1935–2022), an American politician and mayor.

Fictional Characters

The name Collins also appears in many stories and shows:

Barnabas Collins, a fictional vampire from Dark Shadows.
David Collins (Dark Shadows), a fictional character from Dark Shadows.
David Collins (EastEnders), a fictional character from EastEnders.
Gordon Collins (Brookside), a fictional character from the British soap opera Brookside.
Molly Collins, a fictional character from The Amazing World of Gumball.
Jeremiah Collins, a fictional character from Dark Shadows.
Quentin Collins, a fictional werewolf from Dark Shadows.
Rusty Collins, a fictional character from X-Factor comics.
Tom Collins (Rent character), a character in the rock musical Rent.
Victor Collins (General Hospital), a fictional character in the U.S. TV soap opera General Hospital.
Wesley Collins, a fictional character from Power Rangers Time Force.
Mr William Collins, a character in the Jane Austen novel Pride and Prejudice.
Mr Emery Collins (Mr Collins), the manager in the movie Ghost Dad.