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Irish surname

Collins: Irish Surname History & Coat of Arms

Ó Coileáin · 'descendant of Coileán' (whelp)

In Ireland Collins is an anglicised form of Ó Coileáin, 'descendant of Coileán' (whelp), a family that Woulfe (1923) places first in Co. Limerick and later in West Cork. Woulfe also gives Collins as a form of a few other Irish names, and Bardsley's Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1901) has Collins as an English name too, 'the son of Nicholas', from the pet name Colin. In Matheson's 1890 survey it was the 30th commonest surname in Ireland, with about 15,700 people.

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Coat of arms associated with the Collins surname
Irish formÓ Coileáin
Meaning'descendant of Coileán' (whelp)
CountiesCork, Limerick, Galway, Tyrone
Other spellings3
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Collins crest gifts

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Origin of the Collins name

Woulfe: Ó Coileáin, a family of the Ui Fidhgheinte (Co. Limerick) of the same stock as the O'Donovans, lords of Ui Conaill Gabhra (the baronies of Upper and Lower Connello). Expelled in 1178, the main body settled in West Cork; those remaining held Claonghlas until dispossessed by the Fitzgeralds towards the end of the 13th century.[1]

  1. 1178Ó Coileáin expelled from Ui Conaill Gabhra; main body settles in West Cork.[1]
  2. late 13th centuryThe Fitzgeralds dispossess the Collinses who remained in Claonghlas.[1]
  3. late 16th centuryMac Coilín very common in Tyrconnell, Down and Antrim.[3]
  4. 1890352 Collins birth entries in Ireland, 200 of them in Munster.[6]
  5. 1919Michael Collins made Minister for Finance (April).[4]
  6. 1922Michael Collins killed in an ambush at Béal na Bláth (August).[4]

Where in Ireland

Co. CorkMain body of the Ó Coileáin clan settled in West Cork after 1178; first-named county for Collins in 1890.[1][6]
Co. LimerickOriginal territory: Ui Conaill Gabhra (Upper and Lower Connello) and Claonghlas; principal county in 1890.[1][6]
Co. GalwayA separate Ó Cuileáin family, a branch of the Ui Maine; principal county in 1890.[2][6]
Co. TyroneThe Ui Cuileáin of Tyrone were erenaghs of Clogher.[2]
Co. AntrimMac Coilín (also anglicised Collins) was very common in Down and Antrim at the end of the 16th century.[3][6]
Co. Kerry'A good many' Collins births here in 1890.[6]

Notable people named Collins

Michael Collins1890–1922Born at Clonakilty, Co. Cork; Minister for Finance from 1919; Chairman of the Provisional Government; killed at Béal na Bláth, 1922.[4]

Other spellings

O Collaine · O Collan · Collen[1]

The Collins coat of arms

The design shown is a coat of arms associated with the Collins surname. In Irish and British heraldry a coat of arms is granted to one person and passes to their heirs; it does not belong to everyone who shares the surname. Many families still use the arms of their name as a symbol of their heritage.

Collins surname: questions

What does the surname Collins mean in Ireland?

Woulfe gives Collins as the usual anglicised form of Ó Coileáin, 'descendant of Coileán', coileán meaning whelp.[1]

Is Collins an Irish or English name?

Both. Woulfe says Ó Coileáin 'is universally anglicised Collins', and he also gives Collins as a form of Ó Cuileáin and of Mac Coilín. Separately, Bardsley's Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames (1901) explains the English Collins as 'the son of Nicholas', from the pet name Colin, so not every Collins has Irish roots.[1][2][3][7]

Where in Ireland is Collins from?

Woulfe places the Ó Coileáin family in Ui Conaill Gabhra (Upper and Lower Connello, Co. Limerick) until 1178, after which the main body settled in West Cork. In the 1890 births index Collins was principally found in Cork, Limerick, Dublin, Galway and Antrim, with a good many also in Kerry and Clare.[1][6]

How common is Collins in Ireland?

In Matheson's survey of the 1890 Births Index, Collins ranked 30th among Ireland's principal surnames, with an estimated 15,700 people; 200 of its 352 birth entries were in Munster.[5][6]

Sources

  1. Ó Coileáin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-coileain.php
  2. Ó Cuileáin — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-cuileain.php
  3. Mac Coilín — Irish Names and Surnames (Rev. Patrick Woulfe, 1923), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/names/macc/mac-coilin.php
  4. Michael Collins — Life in 1916 Ireland: Stories from statistics (Census and People of the 1916 Rising), Central Statistics Office (Ireland). cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-1916/1916irl/cpr/coir/mc/
  5. Principal Surnames in Ireland (table of 100 principal surnames, Births Index 1890) — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/principal-surnames-ireland.php
  6. Collins — Birth Indexes of 1890 — Special Report on Surnames in Ireland (Robert E. Matheson, 1909), transcribed, LibraryIreland.com. libraryireland.com/matheson/report/births/collins.php
  7. A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (Charles Wareing Bardsley, 1901), entry 'Collin, Collins', Internet Archive (scan of the London: H. Frowde edition). archive.org/details/adictionaryengl00goog

Note: Matheson's 1890 figures for a surname include its spelling varieties (Matheson, Table Explanation).