ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1901

First Year

2026

Last Year

1964

Peak Year

#93

Peak Rank

163K

Total Count

125

Years Active

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## Meaning & Origin of Colleen

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. 

Colleen is an English-language name of Irish origin. It derives from the Irish word cailín "girl/woman", the diminutive of caile "woman, countrywoman".

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colleen) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colleen)

### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

* English

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## The Story of Colleen

Colleen first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1901, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1964: 4,544 births, good for #94 nationwide. The 1960s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 25% of all recorded Colleens. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #2,620 among baby girl names with 66 births, falling sharply (-20%). In total, more than 163K Colleens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

## Popularity by State

ME

WA

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

VT

NH

MA

OR

ID

SD

IA

IL

IN

OH

PA

NJ

CT

RI

CA

NV

WY

NE

MO

KY

WV

VA

MD

DE

DC

UT

CO

KS

AR

TN

NC

SC

AK

AZ

NM

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

HI

TX

FL

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

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## Variants & Related Forms of Colleen

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Colleen. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* [Coleen](/coleen)
* [Colene](/colene)
* [Collyn](/collyn)
* [Kolleen](/kolleen)

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## Notable people named Colleen

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia. 

* ●Colleen Opoku Amuaben , Ghanaian preacher
* ●Colleen Atkinson (born 1963), Irish camogie player
* ●Colleen Atwood (born 1948), American costume designer
* ●Colleen Ballinger (born 1986), American comedian, YouTube personality, and actress, known for her comedic character Miranda Sings
* ●Colleen Barrett (born 1944), American business executive
* ●Colleen Barros , American government official
* ●Colleen Barry , American health policy scholar and professor
* ●Colleen Beaumier (born 1944), Canadian politician

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colleen) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colleen)

🎶

## Names that sound like Colleen

Phonetically similar names — useful when Colleen is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* [Coleen](/coleen)
* [Collin](/collin)
* [Kayleen](/kayleen)
* [Collen](/collen)
* [Killeen](/killeen)
* [Kaylene](/kaylene)
* [Colene](/colene)
* Cauline
* [Kaolin](/kaolin)
* Coulon
* Clean
* [Cali](/cali)

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Colleen

What does the name Colleen mean?

Colleen is an English-language name of Irish origin. It derives from the Irish word cailín "girl/woman", the diminutive of caile "woman, countrywoman".

What is the origin of the name Colleen?

Colleen has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English.

How popular is Colleen in 2026?

In 2026, Colleen ranks #2,620 among girls' names in the U.S., with 66 babies given the name that year.

When was Colleen most popular?

Colleen reached its peak popularity in 1964, ranking #93 that year with 4,544 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Colleen most popular?

Colleen has historically been most popular in Hawaii, Utah, Montana. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Colleen.

Is Colleen a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Colleen is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Colleen?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Colleen include Monique, Krista, Nichole. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Colleen?

Common variants and related forms of Colleen include Coleen, Colene, Collyn, Kolleen. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

## Similar Names

[👧MoniquePeak #93](/monique)[👧KristaPeak #93](/krista)[👧NicholePeak #93](/nichole)[👧KaitlinPeak #93](/kaitlin)[👧MandyPeak #94](/mandy)[👧GraciePeak #94](/gracie)[👧DesireePeak #94](/desiree)[👧JuniperPeak #92](/juniper)

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## About the name Colleen 

Colleen is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1901 and has accumulated 163K births in the dataset. Colleen's peak popularity came in 1964 when it ranked #93\. Use the chart and map above to compare Colleen's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 1964 → ](/year/1964)
* [ Names of the 1960s → ](/decade/1960s)
* [ Names starting with "C" → ](/letter/c)
* [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
* Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides. 

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