Show ContentsColling History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Colling has a rich and ancient history. It is an Anglo-Saxon name that was originally derived from the personal name Nicholas. A common diminutive of the name Nicholas was Colin. 1

Saint Collen was a 7th-century monk who gave his name to Llangollen, Denbighshire which translates from the Welsh as "church of the hazel-wood."

Early Origins of the Colling family

The surname Colling was first found in various counties throughout old Britain. By example, the Hundreorum Rolls of 1273 list William de Colince or Colunce as holding lands at Chadlington, Oxford, and Hugh de Culunce had custody of Pont Orson temp. King John, c. 1200. Ernis de Coulonces married a daughter of William de Warrenne, Earl of Surrey, temp. Henry I. and Hugh de Colonches in 1165, held a barony of four fees. Adam de Coulnce paid a fine to the King in Oxfordshire 1203, and Hugh de Coulnce confirmed lands to Mottisfont Priory 2

We must look to Somerset to view an early entry for an early phonetic match to the more popular spellings of today. For it is there that John Colyngs was listed as holding lands, 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 3

Down in Cornwall, the Halset manor in Lesnewth, "belonged to the family of Colyn but in the reign of James I. it was the property of Thomas Southcott, Esq. and Mr. Humphrey Brown." 4

Again in Cornwall, "the manor of Luxulian was in the family of Collins in the reign of Elizabeth, after which it became the property of the Kendalls." 4

Early History of the Colling family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Colling research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1500, 1576, 1618, 1623, 1624, 1625, 1651, 1653, 1660, 1667, 1683, 1690, 1697, 1705, 1711 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Colling History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Colling Spelling Variations

Before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago, spelling variations of names were a common occurrence. Elements of Latin, French and other languages became incorporated into English through the Middle Ages, and name spellings changed even among the literate. The variations of the surname Colling include Collins, Collin, Collings, Colling, Collis, Caullins, Caulling, Caullings, Caullis, Colins, Colings, Coliss and many more.

Early Notables of the Colling family

Distinguished members of the family include

  • Samuel Collins (1576-1651), an English clergyman and academic, Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge and Provost of King's College, Cambridge; and his son, John Collins (1624-1711), an English aca...

Ireland Migration of the Colling family to Ireland

Some of the Colling family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Colling migration to the United States +

A great wave of immigration to the New World was the result of the enormous political and religious disarray that struck England at that time. Families left for the New World in extremely large numbers. The long journey was the end of many immigrants and many more arrived sick and starving. Still, those who made it were rewarded with an opportunity far greater than they had known at home in England. These emigrant families went on to make significant contributions to these emerging colonies in which they settled. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants:

Colling Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Tho Colling, who landed in Virginia in 1695 5
Colling Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Franz Colling, who arrived in America in 1783 5
Colling Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • William Colling, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1846 5
  • John H Colling, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 5
  • Robinson Moses Colling, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1850 5
  • Miss Colling, who arrived in North America in 1853 5
  • Johann Colling, who arrived in Illinois in 1859 5
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Colling migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Colling Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Colling U.E. who settled in Saint John, New Brunswick c. 1783 6

Australia Colling migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Colling Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Richard Colling, English convict who was convicted in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Enchantress"on 6th April 1833, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 7

New Zealand Colling 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:

Colling Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Frederick Colling, (b. 1856), aged 22, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Western Monarch" arriving in New Zealand in 1879 8

Contemporary Notables of the name Colling (post 1700) +

  • Richard G. Colling, American former Chairman of the biological sciences department at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois
  • Robert Colling (1749-1820), who with his brother Charles (1751-1836), English stock breeders, famous for their improvement of the Shorthorn breed of cattle
  • George Lindsay "Lin" Colling (1946-2003), New Zealand rugby union player, coach and administrator, member of the All Blacks in 1972
  • Gary Colling (b. 1950), former Australian rules footballer who played for St Kilda from 1968 until 1981
  • Belinda Louise Colling (b. 1975), New Zealand two-time gold and three-time silver medalist international netball and women's basketball player


  1. Smith, Eldson Coles, New Dictionary of American Family Names New York: Harper & Row, 1956. Print
  2. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  3. Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
  4. Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
  5. 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)
  6. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th April 2022). https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/enchantress
  8. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html


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