Show ContentsColin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The prominent surname Colin originated in France, a country which has been a dominant presence in world affairs for centuries.The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in France were the patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. The patronyms were derived from a variety of given names that were of many different origins. The surname Colin is derived from the Latin personal name Nicholaus, which means people's victory.

Early Origins of the Colin family

The surname Colin was first found in Ile-de-France, where a family of this name was long established, and grew into one of the more eminent families of the region.

Early History of the Colin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Colin research. Another 104 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1413, 1690, 1755, 1760, 1791, 1793 and 1806 are included under the topic Early Colin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Colin Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Collin, Colin, Colinet, Collinet, Colinot, Collinot, Colineau, Collineau, Colinaud and many more.

Early Notables of the Colin family

More information is included under the topic Early Colin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Colin Ranking

In the United States, the name Colin is the 7,992nd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1] However, in France, the name Colin is ranked the 80th most popular surname with an estimated 32,550 people with that name. [2]


United States Colin migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Colin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Francois Colin, who landed in Mobile, Ala in 1764 [3]
Colin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Henry Colin, who arrived in New York, NY in 1811 [3]
  • Jean Colin, aged 28, who arrived in New York in 1854 [3]

Canada Colin migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Colin Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Michel Colin, son of Mathurin and Jacqueline, who married Louise Charon, daughter of Pierre and Catherine, in Longueuil, Quebec on 19th February 1703 [4]
  • André Colin, son of Mathurin and Jacqueline, who married Jeanne Cadieu, daughter of Jean and Marie, in Quebec on 14th May 1704 [4]
  • Pierre Colin, son of Mathurin and Jacqueline, who married Marthe Bouteiller, daughter of André and Angélique, in Longueuil, Quebec on 11th August 1715 [4]
  • Joseph Colin, son of André and Jeanne, who married Jeanne Masson, daughter of Pierre and Catherine, in Terrebonne, Quebec on 5th July 1728 [4]
  • François Colin, son of Michel and Louise, who married Marguerite Chevalier, daughter of Jean and Catherine, in Verchères, Quebec on 23rd November 1733 [4]
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

West Indies Colin migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. [5]
Colin Settlers in West Indies in the 19th Century
  • Bartolome Colin, who arrived in Dominican Republic in 1834 [3]

Contemporary Notables of the name Colin (post 1700) +

  • Kathryn Colin (b. 1974), American sprint canoer
  • Christie Colin (b. 1982), née Bisco, an American multiple gold medalist compound archer
  • Margaret Colin (b. 1958), American actress
  • Philippe Colin (b. 1979), French sprint canoer
  • Jean-Claude Colin (1790-1875), French priest, founder of the Society of Mary
  • Grégoire Colin (b. 1975), French actor, producer, screenwriter, and director
  • Georges Colin (1880-1945), French actor
  • Fabrice Colin (b. 1972), French author of fantasy, science fiction, and magic realism
  • Denis Colin (b. 1956), French bass clarinettist and composer
  • Alexandre-Marie Colin (1798-1875), French painter of historical and genre subjects
  • ... (Another 10 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  4. Internoscia, Arthur E., and Claire Chevrier. Dictionnaire National des Canadiens Français 1608-1760. Vol. 1, Institut Drouin, 1958.
  5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies


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