Boy name
Colin name meaning
“victory of the people; young dog”
Colin means “victory of the people” or “young dog,” depending on its origin. It is a French short form of Nicolas and an English form of Scottish Gaelic Cailean. In Türkiye, it is used for boys. Its connection with Nicolas links it to the Greek naming tradition combining people and victory.
- Gender
- ♂ Boy
- Origin
- European languages
- Syllables
- 2
- Popularity
- #1,624
What does Colin mean?
Victory of the people; young dog
In Turkish: halkın zaferi; genç köpek
Colin illustrates how two historically separate names can converge on the same spelling. One route belongs to the Nicholas family, while the other comes through Scottish naming traditions. Choosing a single meaning can therefore be misleading: the two interpretations represent alternative histories rather than combined elements.
The final sound in has no single shared meaning across these names. Emin, Şahin and Engin must be understood as whole names, not through their last letters alone. More boy names ending in -in →
Origin of the name Colin
Colin has two distinct histories: a French short form of Nicolas and an anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Cailean. These connect respectively with Greek 'victory of the people' and Gaelic 'young dog'.
| Linguistic origin | European languages, Greek |
|---|---|
| Is Colin in the Quran? | No |
| Starts with | C |
How to pronounce Colin
| Syllables | 2 · 5 letters · 5-letter boy names |
|---|---|
| IPA | /d͡ʒolin/ |
Is Colin a boy’s name?
Yes, Colin is used mostly as a boy’s name. See all boy names.
Colin does not appear in TÜİK’s top-30 lists (Türkiye and provinces, up to 2025). In our sample of notable people (Wikidata), 2 people bear it; this is not a national figure.
Spellings and similar names
Names that sound like Colin
Names with related meanings
- Fatih♂Opener
- Cihangir♂World-conqueror
- Utku♂Victory, triumph and successful achievement
- Muzaffer♂Victorious
- Zafer♂Victory
- Fevzi♂Relating to success or victory
- Tevfik♂Enabling success
- Galip♂Victorious
- Fethi♂Relating to conquest or opening
- Nusret♂Help, support
- Behram♂A name associated with victory
- Vural♂Strike and take
Famous people named Colin
- Colin Kâzım-Richards · b. 1986
- Colin Imber · b. 1945
FAQ about the name Colin
What is the meaning of Colin?
Colin means “victory of the people; young dog”. Colin has two distinct histories: a French short form of Nicolas and an anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Cailean. These connect respectively with Greek 'victory of the people' and Gaelic 'young dog'.
Is Colin a boy’s name?
Yes, Colin is used mostly as a boy’s name.
Is Colin in the Quran?
No. Neither the name Colin nor its source word occurs in the Quran.
What is the origin of the name Colin?
Colin is of European languages and Greek origin.
How many syllables does Colin have?
Colin has 2 syllables and 5 letters.
How popular is the name Colin?
Colin does not appear in TÜİK’s top-30 lists (Türkiye and provinces, up to 2025). In our sample of notable people (Wikidata), 2 people bear it; this is not a national figure.
Famous people named Colin?
Notable people named Colin include Colin Kâzım-Richards, Colin Imber.
Sources and method
Meanings and origins draw on language sources and name dictionaries; popularity figures come from TÜİK’s address-based population register, and notable people from Wikidata.
Entry ID: nm11155 · Updated 2026-10-24 · How we research names · Report a mistake