Show ContentsCollins History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Collins Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Family Crest Download (JPG) Heritage Series - 600 DPI

Etymology of Collins

What does the name Collins mean?

Although Collins is a common English name, Collins is also an indigenous Irish name, derived from the Irish Gaelic "O'Coileain."

Early Origins of the Collins family

The surname Collins was first found in North Desmond the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, later part of County Limerick, where they were lords of the baronies of Connello and lords of Eighter Conghalach (Lower Connello). By the 13th century, they had moved south and settled in West Cork, having been driven out of their original territories by the Geraldines.

Early History of the Collins family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Collins research. Another 31 words (2 lines of text) covering the years 1553, 1602, 1754 and 1817 are included under the topic Early Collins History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Collins Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Collins, Colins, O'Cullane, Cullane and others.

Early Notables of the Collins family

  • Father Dominic Collins (1553-1602), leader of the Confederate Catholic army, hanged at Dublin castle
  • Seán O Coileán, or John Collins (1754-1817), Irish poet

Collins World Ranking

the United States, the name Collins is the 50th most popular surname with an estimated 333,258 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name Collins is ranked the 123rd most popular surname with an estimated 25,134 people with that name. 2 And in Quebec, Canada, the name Collins is the 940th popular surname. 3 Newfoundland, Canada ranks Collins as 26th with 706 people. 4 France ranks Collins as 7,435th with 1,000 - 1,500 people. 5 Australia ranks Collins as 51st with 38,969 people. 6 New Zealand ranks Collins as 72nd with 4,731 people. 7 The United Kingdom ranks Collins as 63rd with 71,214 people. 8 South Africa ranks Collins as 890th with 7,808 people. 9

Collins migration to the United States +



Collins Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Susan Collins, aged 40, who arrived in Virginia in 1613 aboard the ship "Treasurer" 11
  • John Collins, who landed in Virginia in 1620 aboard the ship "Supply" 11
  • Peter Collins, British servant who landed in Virginia in 1621 aboard the ship "Addam" 11
  • Robert Collins, who arrived in Virginia in 1622-1623 11
  • Josias Collins, who landed in Virginia in 1622 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Collins Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Edward Collins, who landed in Virginia in 1703 11
  • Diana Collins, who arrived in Virginia in 1704 11
  • Sara Collins, who arrived in Virginia in 1704 11
  • Mattw Collins, who landed in Virginia in 1714 11
  • Thomas Collins, who arrived in Virginia in 1716 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Collins Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Isaac Collins, aged 30, who arrived in New York, NY in 1803 11
  • William Collins, who arrived in America in 1805 11
  • Patrick Collins, who landed in America in 1812 11
  • Margaret Collins, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 11
  • Bartholomew Collins, aged 44, who landed in New York in 1812 11
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Collins Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Mr. George H. Collins, (b. 1875), aged 25, Cornish mason travelling aboard the ship "Oceanic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 29th August 1900 en route to Columbus, Ohio, USA 12
  • Mrs. Kate Collins, (b. 1843), aged 57, Cornish teacher travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 8th April 1900 en route to Cherokee, Iowa, USA 12
  • Miss Louisa Collins, (b. 1882), aged 18, Cornish teacher travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 8th April 1900 en route to Cherokee, Iowa, USA 12
  • Mr. Walter H. Collins, (b. 1882), aged 18, Cornish plumber travelling aboard the ship "Oceanic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 29th August 1900 en route to Columbus, Ohio, USA 12
  • Mr. Daniel Collins, (b. 1842), aged 60, Cornish settler from Redruth, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Teutonic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 6th August 1902 en route to Michigan, USA 12
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Collins migration to Canada +

Collins Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Peter Collins, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1749
  • Laurance Collins, who landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1749-1752
  • John Collins, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
  • Lawrence Collins, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • Mary Collins, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Collins Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • David Collins, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1825
  • Edward Collins, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1829
  • Jeremiah Collins, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1829
  • Thomas Collins, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1830
  • Catherine Collins, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1830
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Collins migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet, Second Fleet and Third Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet
  • Mr. William Collins, (d. 1796), British settler convicted in Gloucestershire, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing a purse, transported aboard the ship "Neptune, Scarborough or Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 10
  • Mr. Daniel Collins, (b. 1770), aged 19, Irish settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1786, sentenced to Life for highway robbery, transported aboard the ship "Scarborough" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790, given absolute pardon in 1800 11
  • Mr. John Collins, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for theft, transported aboard the ship "Neptune" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 11
  • Mr. Thomas Collins, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1788, sentenced to Life for theft, transported aboard the ship "Neptune, Scarborough or Surprize" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 11
  • Mr. Thomas Collins, (1766 - 1820), aged 23, British settler convicted in London, England in 1788, sentenced to Life for theft, transported aboard the ship "Scarborough" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 11
Second Fleet
  • Mr. Edward Collins, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1788, sentenced to 7 years for stealing a horse, transported aboard the ship "Albermarle" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 11
  • Mr. John Collins, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Albermarle" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791, his wife and child travelled with him 11
  • Miss Mary Collins, (1767 - 1794), aged 23, British settler convicted in Middlesex, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for stealing a handkerchief, transported aboard the ship "Mary Ann" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 11
  • Mr. Richard Collins, British settler convicted in Southampton, Hampshire, England in 1790, sentenced to 5 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Admiral Barrington" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 11
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Collins, (d. 1795), British convicts wife, transported aboard the ship "Admiral Barrington" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 11
Third Fleet
  • Mr. David Collins, (1756 - 1810), British Captain of Marines and Judge Advocate on the Navy support ship for the First Fleet the "HMS Sirius" leaving in 1787 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1788
Following the First, Second and Third Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

Collins Settlers in Australia in the 18th Century
  • Mr. William Collins, (b. 1778), aged 19, English butcher who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life for stealing, transported aboard the "Barwell" in September 1797, arriving in New South Wales, Australia he died in 1801 13
Collins Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. James Collins, Irish convict who was convicted in Dundalk, Ireland for life, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 29th November 1801, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
  • Dennis Collins, English convict from Kent, who was transported aboard the "Ann" on August 1809, settling in New South Wales, Australia 15
  • Mrs. Anne Collins, (b. 1778), aged 31, Irish convict who was convicted in Armagh, Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 21st January 1809, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
  • Mr. Richard Collins, English convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Atlas" on 16th January 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
  • Mr. William Collins, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for life, transported aboard the "Fame" on 9th October 1816, arriving in New South Wales, Australia, he died on board in 1817 17
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Collins migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Collins Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • James Collins, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
  • John Power Collins, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
  • R Collins, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Clifton
  • Edward Collins, aged 21, a farm labourer, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Catherine Stewart Forbes" in 1841
  • Mr. James Collins, (b. 1809), aged 31, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Slains Castle" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 25th January 1841 18
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Collins 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. 19
Collins Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Mr. Walter Collins, (b. 1617), aged 18, British settler traveling aboard the ship "Matthew" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 20
  • Charles Collins, who settled in Barbados in 1680 with his wife, two children, and servants
Collins Settlers in West Indies in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Charles Collins, (b. 1866), aged 26, Cornish rope maker travelling aboard the ship "Majestic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 28th January 1892 en route to Havana, Cuba 12

Contemporary Notables of the name Collins (post 1700) +

  • Michael Collins (1890-1922), Irish nationalist and Sinn Fein leader who helped negotiate the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1921
  • Martha Layne Collins (1936-2025), American businesswoman and politician from Kentucky; served as the state's 56th governor (1983-1987), the first woman to hold the office and the only one to date
  • Suzanne Collins (b. 1962), American television writer and author best known for the Hunger Games series
  • Cora Susan Collins (1927-2025), American child actress who appeared in 47 films during the Golden Years of Hollywood, best known for The Scarlet Letter (1934), The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938)
  • Dwayne Collins (1988-2025), American professional basketball player
  • Arthurine Collins (1923-1978), American private in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, first all-female, all-African-American battalion to server overseas
  • Francis Dolan Collins (1841-1891), American politician
  • G. Pat Collins (1895-1959), born as George Percy Collins, American actor of stage and screen
  • Gail Collins (b. 1945), American journalist and author
  • ... (Another 116 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Air New Zealand Flight 901
  • Capt. Thomas James Collins (1934-1979), New Zealander Captain, from Auckland, New Zealand working aboard the Air New Zealand sightseeing Flight 901 when it flew into Mount Erebus; he died in the crash 21
  • Mr. Martin John Collins (d. 1979), New Zealander Purser, from Auckland, New Zealand working aboard the Air New Zealand sightseeing Flight 901 when it flew into Mount Erebus; he died in the crash 22
  • Thomas Collins (b. 1823), British passenger who died aboard the ship "Cataraqui" when sailing for Melbourne, Australia she struck rocks of Kings Island and sank on 4th April 1845
  • Hilton Stuart Collins (1909-1943), Australian Corporal who died aboard the ship "Centaur" an Australian hospital ship when torpedoed on 14th May 1943
  • Leo Francis Collins (1923-1943), Australian Private who died aboard the ship "Centaur" an Australian hospital ship when torpedoed on 14th May 1943
  • ... (Another 26 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Suggested Readings for the name Collins +

  • Collins Ancestry by Mabel Thacher Rosemary Washburn.
  • The Collins and Travis Families and Their Allies by Mary Collins Landin.
  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. "Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
  3. "The first 1,000 family names by rank, Quebec (in French only)" Institut de la statistique du Quebec, https://statistique.quebec.ca/en/document/family-names-in-quebec/tableau/the-first-1000-family-names-by-rank-quebec
  4. The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
  5. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  6. "Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
  7. "Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
  8. "UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
  9. "Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
  10. Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
  11. 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)
  12. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
  13. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 29th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barwell
  14. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 14th July 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/atlas
  15. State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Ann voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1809 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/ann/1809
  16. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 2nd June 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/experiment
  17. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 27th September 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/fairlie
  18. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  19. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  20. Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's (Retrieved October 4th 2021 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
  21. Mount Erebus, Memorial, Roll of Remembrance (Retrieved 2018, February 21st). Retrieved from http://www.erebus.co.nz/memorialandawards/rollofremembrance.aspx

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