Collie History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms 

Origins Available: 
  England 
  Ireland 


The name Collie has a rich and ancient history. It is an Anglo-Saxon name that was originally derived from the common diminutive of the popular name Nicholas. Col was a common diminutive of the popular name Nicholas. The form Collie was particularly popular in Yorkshire. Nicholas was the name of a popular saint from the fourth century, and was given to many children in England in the Middle Ages.

Early Origins of the Collie family

The surname Collie was first found in Gloucestershire at Coaley, a village in the union of Dursley, Upper division of the hundred of Berkeley which dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as Couelege and was held by King William. 1 The place name literally means "clearing with a hut or shelter," from the Old English "cofa" + "leah." 2

Alternatively, the name could have originated in Yorkshire as by the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, the following were listed: Adam Coly; Agnes Coly; Rogeris Coly; and Willelmus Coiley as all holding lands there at that time. 3

John Colley (fl. 1440), was an early theological writer, "a member of the Carmelite convent at Doncaster. He is said to have been an elegant Latin writer and an eloquent preacher." 4

Early History of the Collie family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Collie research. Another 150 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1513, 1554, 1560, 1585, 1621, 1633, 1637, 1648, 1674, 1685, 1695, 1698, 1699, 1700 and 1723 are included under the topic Early Collie History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Collie 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 Collie include Colly, Colley, Collie, Caullie, Caulley, Caully, Coully, Coulley and many more.

Early Notables of the Collie family

Notables of the family at this time include Thomas Colly (c. 1513-1560), of Dover, Kent, an English politician, Member of Parliament for Dover in 1554. Henry Coley (1633-1695?), was a mathematician and...
Another 30 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Collie Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Collie Ranking

In the United States, the name Collie is the 13,557th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 5

Migration of the Collie family to Ireland

Some of the Collie family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 111 words (8 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Collie 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:

Collie Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Collie migration to Australia +

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

Collie Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Collie 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:

Collie Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Collie 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. 11
Collie Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Contemporary Notables of the name Collie (post 1700) +
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