Colleen
Colleen is an English-language name of Irish origin. It derives from the Irish word cailín "girl/woman", the diminutive of caile "woman, countrywoman".
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 (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
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. Its peak popularity came in 1964, when 4,544 Colleens were born — ranking #94 that year. As of 2026, Colleen ranks #2,620 for baby girls 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
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 (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
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.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Colleen
What does the name Colleen mean?
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In which U.S. states is Colleen most popular?
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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 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . 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 (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
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.