Irish and Manx: shortened anglicized form of Ó Coileáin (or Mac Coileáin); Coileán is an Irish byname meaning 'whelp, young dog'. English: from Colin, a medieval diminutive of Nicholas, with a genitive -s. Earliest English records are 12th century (Colinus, Berkshire, 1191). In Ireland it is ranked about 30th.
Spellings and related forms: Ó Coileáin, Mac Coileáin, Cullen, Collin, Colson.
The Irish Collins line comes from Coileán, a byname meaning "whelp, young dog".
Most surnames have no single "family crest". In heraldry, a coat of arms belonged to one person and passed down one line of descent. Sites that sell "the Collins coat of arms" usually show the arms of one historic family that shared the name. Ours is different on purpose: an original design built from what the name means, which any Collins can own honestly.
Blankets: soft velveteen plush (100% polyester), printed on one side; may run up to 3 in. short of the listed size. Rugs: polyester chenille with hemmed edges and a coated backing, for indoor use. Both are printed in the USA (Georgia and North Carolina).
Name meanings come from the sources above, checked 2026-10. Where scholars disagree, we say so.