The Collins surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 329,770 people carried this name — #59 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 895 people counted. That is up 4% from 317,848 in 2000.
What the name means
The meaning of the Collins surname
An English surname originating as a patronymic from the given name Colin.
As a French surname, Americanized from Collin and Colette.
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Collins» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 352 births for the Collins name in 1890.
They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Munster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 15,600 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 2 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 333 people named Collins live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
226 people named Collins live in Switzerland.
They live in 14 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 152 people named Collins.
Most of them — 114 — were born outside France. Those born in France came from 16 départements, most often Seine-Maritime.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 143 people named Collins live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Liège.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In Poland’s population register
76 people named Collins have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 231 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 14 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Lesser Poland.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In the Nordic population registers
332 people named Collins are counted in Sweden and Finland.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published. Finland counts its citizens, at home or abroad.
Counted, by country
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) · Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), Finland, surname statistics, August 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In print
Collins in American newspapers,
1889–1925.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,500,288 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Collins,
with a public archive behind them.
-
John Collins 1626–1683 · mathematician -
John S. Collins 1837–1928 · farmer -
Francis Dolan Collins 1841–1891 · lawyer -
Gilbert Collins 1846–1920 · judge -
John Churton Collins 1848–1908 · writer
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 206 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Collins.
- Colli 552 · U.S. census
- Collias 196 · U.S. census
- Collier 56,380 · U.S. census
- Collignon 493 · U.S. census
- Collin 2,959 · U.S. census
- Colling 1,042 · U.S. census
- Collon 167 · U.S. census
- Collura 1,557 · U.S. census
- Colly 148 · U.S. census
- Colman 3,916 · U.S. census
- Colo 414 · U.S. census
- Colom 413 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Collins is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.