Show ContentsCollinson History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The Anglo-Saxon name Collinson comes from the personal name Col-in, which is a diminutive of Col, which in turn is a pet form of Nicholas. The surname Collinson features the suffix -son, which was most common in the north of England and largely supplanted other Anglo-Saxon patronymic suffixes by the 14th century.

Early Origins of the Collinson family

The surname Collinson was first found in Suffolk where they held a family seat from very ancient times, some say well before the Norman Conquest and the arrival of Duke William at Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Collinson family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Collinson research. Another 95 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1694 and 1768 are included under the topic Early Collinson History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Collinson Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Collinson has appeared include Collinson, Collenson, Colenson, Colinson and others.

Early Notables of the Collinson family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

  • Peter Collinson (1694-1768), English naturalist and antiquary, born near Windermere on 14 Jan...
  • Peter Collinson, in partnership with his brother, improved the father's trade, and opened a large business with the American colonies...

Collinson Ranking

In the United States, the name Collinson is the 18,761st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. [1]


United States Collinson migration to the United States +

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Collinson arrived in North America very early:

Collinson Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • John Collinson, who landed in Maryland in 1671 [2]
  • Peter Collinson, who arrived in Maryland in 1680 [2]
  • Elizabeth Collinson, who arrived in Maryland in 1680 [2]
Collinson Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • William Collinson, who landed in Virginia in 1719 [2]
  • Joseph Collinson, who arrived in Carolina in 1746 [2]
  • John Collinson who settled in Boston Massachusetts in 1765
Collinson Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mrs. Collinson, who landed in America in 1849 [2]

Australia Collinson migration to Australia +

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

Collinson Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Richard Collinson, English convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl Grey" on 4th October 1842, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) [3]

New Zealand Collinson 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:

Collinson Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • George Collinson, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Ida Zeigler" in 1863
  • C. Henry Collinson, aged 24, a carpenter, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Waitangi" in 1874
  • Frances E. Collinson, aged 21, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Waitangi" in 1874
  • Clement Collinson, aged 1, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Waitangi" in 1874
  • Mark Collinson, aged 31, who arrived in Wellington, New Zealand aboard the ship "Woodlark" in 1874
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Collinson (post 1700) +

  • William Robert Collinson (1912-1995), United States federal judge
  • Sir Richard Collinson (1811-1883), English naval officer and explorer of the Arctic, a native of Gateshead, of which place his father, the Rev. John Collinson, was rector [4]
  • John Collinson (1757-1793), English county historian, vicar of Clanfield, Oxfordshire [4]
  • Clifford "Cliff" Collinson (1920-1990), English footballer
  • Robert Whiteley Collinson (1875-1963), as an English first-class cricketer
  • John Collinson (1911-1979), English cricketer
  • Patrick Collinson (1929-2011), English historian
  • Jimmy Collinson (b. 1876), English football player
  • Peter Collinson (1694-1768), English botanist and naturalist
  • William Joseph Collinson, Education Administrator, Brooklyn, New York State
  • ... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

HMS Hood
  • Mr. Robert E Collinson (b. 1924), English Boy 1st Class serving for the Royal Navy from Weston, Turville, Buckinghamshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking [5]


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-gray
  4. Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020
  5. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm


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