The Collett surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 8,064 people carried this name — #4,404 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 36,600 people counted. That is up 4% from 7,768 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Collett surname

A surname originating as a patronymic.

Coll + -ett. From a medieval diminutive of Coll, from the given name Nicholas.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Collett» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a baptismal name, from a given name: ‘the son of Nicholas’.

His entry covers Collett and Collette.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 195 · public domain.

In the Nordic population registers

48 people named Collett is counted in Sweden.

Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.

Counted, by country

Sweden (2022) 48

Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Collett was found among the farmers of 3 counties.

It was most frequent in Oxfordshire: 40 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 250. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Oxfordshire 40
Cambridgeshire 24
Wiltshire 18

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In print

Collett in American newspapers,
1860–1927.

Newspaper page from The St. Johns Herald carrying the name Collett
The St. Johns Herald 1927-09-22
Newspaper page from St. Cloud Democrat carrying the name Collett
St. Cloud Democrat 1860-11-22
Newspaper page from Ventnor News carrying the name Collett
Ventnor News 1925-11-04

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 34,107 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Collett in Australian newspapers,
1810s–2000s.

29,228 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Collett. The most, 4,384, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Tasmania, at 2.6 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 8,943
Tasmania 4,706
Victoria 3,877
Western Australia 3,833
South Australia 3,781
Queensland 3,715
ACT (Canberra) 327
Northern Territory 6

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Collett.

Who carried it

People named Collett,
with a public archive behind them.

  • James Collett
    James Collett 1655–1727 · businessperson
  • Charles Frederick Collett d. 1846 · naval officer
  • Margaret Josephine Collett d. 2004
  • Abrilla Collett d. 1831
  • Ellender Collett d. 1830
  • William Collett 1651–1714

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Collett,
in the records of 9 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States586 records

586 records of the Collett name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 227
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 105
  • Other U.S. records 254
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Frank R. Collett

    Born 1905 in Oklahoma. Enlisted 1942 at San Antonio, Texas; aircraft mechanic. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1987, buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, Texas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Noble H. Collett

    Born 1917 in Kentucky. Enlisted 1942 at Los Angeles, California; sales clerk. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1961, buried at Willamette National Cemetery, Oregon.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Javance Collett

    Born 1921 in Texas. Enlisted 1942 at Houston; porter from Robertson County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1996, buried at Houston National Cemetery, Texas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)

Showing 3 of 586 records for Collett in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Sacramento County, Historic Burials (CC BY 4.0) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain).

Australia670 records

670 records of the Collett name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 302
  • Tasmanian Names Index 117
  • Other Australian records 251
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Mary Ann Collett

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Royal Admiral, sailing from London in 1842. Native of Marylebone, Middlesex. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1843. Married 1843 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 30.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Sophia Collett

    Died 1877 in Oatlands, Tasmania, aged 58. Will registered in Tasmania in 1878.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record James Collett

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Carntyne, aged 26; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 670 records for Collett in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada80 records

80 records of the Collett name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 19
  • Canadian Virtual War Memorial 15
  • Other Canadian records 46
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Violet Collett

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the L'Abondence, bound for Port Roseway, aged 22.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Henry Collett

    Came to Ontario in 1873 aboard the Peruvian, landing at Quebec, bound for Stratford, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record William John Collett

    Buried in 1998 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 88.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 80 records for Collett in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

Norway47 records

47 records of the Collett name in Norway Norway's 1910 census
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Oscar Collett

    Census of 1910: Fagerholmen, Klingen; "forstkandidat", born 1877 in Trondhjem.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Louise Collett

    Census of 1910: Nils Juelsgate, Kristiania; born 1891 in Drammen.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)
  3. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Census record Aksel Collett

    Census of 1910: Salsbruket, Kolvereid; born 1880 in Kolvereid.

    Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO)

Showing 3 of 47 records for Collett in Norway.

Counts: Arkivverket, Digitalarkivet, 1910 census (CC BY 3.0 NO). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

New Zealand36 records

36 records of the Collett name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 28
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 6
  • Other New Zealand records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Leslie Clifford Collett

    Died 1979, aged 83; buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Edward Collett

    Died 1912, aged 25; buried at Omaka Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record G. Collett

    New Zealand Infantry. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 36 records for Collett in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

United Kingdom36 records

36 records of the Collett name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 24
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 11
  • Stirling Council burial records 1
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Emma Collett

    Died 1968, aged 86; buried at Bannockburn Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record John Collett

    Buried in 1808 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 38.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record T. Collett

    Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 36 records for Collett in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

France4 records

4 records of the Collett name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Catherine Olivia Collett

    Born 1892 in Petite-Rosselle; died 1976 in Petite-Rosselle (Moselle).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Paul Albert Andre Collett

    Born 1916 in Bénestroff; died 1978 in Théding (Moselle).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Collett in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands4 records

4 records of the Collett name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch population registers 2
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 2
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Hubert Ferdinand Collett

    Died 1924 in Vaals, aged 79.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Harold Collett

    In the population register of Vlissingen; born 1879 in Dudleij.

    Open Archives, Gemeentearchief Vlissingen (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Collett in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Germany3 records

3 records of the Collett name in Germany Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Jakob Collett

    From Kreuznach. Reported wounded in the Prussian casualty list of 22 October 1915 (Infantry Regiment No. 174).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)

Showing 1 of 3 records for Collett in Germany.

Counts: Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Collett.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Collett is.
A volume says what happened to it.

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