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WedJan 29

National Colin Day – January 29, 2025

National Colin Day takes place on January 29. It is not to be confused with Colin Day, a non-executive board member of the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs in the United Kingdom. The name Colin and its bearers are honored on National Colin Day. Colin is a masculine given name in the English language. It has two unique origins: it is a diminutive version of ‘Colle,’ an Old French short form of the name Nicolas; and it is a diminutive form of ‘Colle,’ an Old French short form of the name Nicolas. Its second origin is an anglicized form of Cuilen, Cailean, and the modern Irish spelling of Coileáin, which means “whelp, cub.”

History of National Colin Day

Colin is a name that can be derived from the given surname. It can be of unrelated French origin. The surname Cullen, which is an anglicization of the unrelated patronymic Cuilinn, is derived from the Irish patronymic Coileáin. The name Colin was one of the ‘Top 100 most popular male names’ in England and Wales for most of the 20th century, but its popularity plummeted around the end of the century. It steadily improved from 96th place in 1904 to 82nd place in 1914, and 15th place in 1944. It then fell to 22nd place in 1954, and eventually fell to 67th place in 1984. By the end of the year 1996, Colin was ranked the 319th most popular name in England and Wales.

Colin has been a reasonably common name in the United States, appearing among the top 100 boys’ names in the United States in 2005. In 2014, it was ranked 302 in Scotland, but it is more popular in Ireland, where it was placed 88th in 2006. The first Colin was first found in Ile-de-France, where a family of this name had long been established and had grown into one of the region’s most prominent families. Colin is a short form of Nicholas, which means ‘victorious people.’ Cailen is an English translation of the Scottish Gaelic word Cailen.

Colin is a surname that has been passed down through generations of settlers. In 1764, Francois Colin arrived in Mobile, Alabama. Henry Colin was the first of the Colin Settlers in the United States in the 19th century.

National Colin Day timeline

14th Century
Documentation of the Gaelic Name

Colin, a Scottish Gaelic name, is first documented.

1854
A Colin Arrives in New York

Jean Colin arrives and settles in New York.

1944
15th Place

The name Colin is one of the ‘Top 100 most popular male names’ in England and Wales and occupies 15th place.

2005
The ‘Top 100 American Boys' Names’

Colin appears among the ‘Top 100 boys' names’ in the United States.

National Colin Day FAQs

What was Colin Powell's most famous remark?

“Leadership is about finding solutions to challenges.”

Is ‘Colin’ a word in Scrabble?

‘Colin’ is a word that appears in Scrabble.

What exactly is a Colin?

It’s a bobwhite quail or one of numerous other New World game birds.

National Colin Day Activities

  1. Watch movies

    Make a list of movies to watch today. Choose movies with characters that have the same name as you to see whether you have anything in common.

  2. Read some novels

    If you like to read, look for books in which one of the characters has the same name as you. Spend the day with your nose buried in a book.

  3. Alphabet soup

    This may seem odd, but it's a lot of fun! Get a can of alphabet soup and the letters you'll need to spell your name and its variations depending on where it originated from. It's both tasty and entertaining.

5 Interesting Facts About Colins

  1. “Pride and Prejudice”

    Colin Firth is well known for playing Mr. Darcy in the BBC television production of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice."

  2. 2016 name statistics

    Colin and Collin were given to about one in 620 boys born in the United States in 2016.

  3. Edward Cullen

    Edward Cullen is a fictional character who first appeared in Stephenie Meyer's “Twilight” series, which was published in 2005.

  4. Church of the hazel-wood

    Llangollen, Denbighshire, is named after Saint Collen, a 7th-century monk whose name means "church of the hazel-wood" in Welsh.

  5. Show your support

    Colin Creevey appears in the “Harry Potter” books as a fictional character.

Why We Love National Colin Day

  1. Names help us understand ourselves

    Names also help us understand who we are, where we fit in the world, and which communities we belong to. The sound of your name serves as your identification in a crowd full of people.

  2. It’s an excuse to spoil yourself

    It’s a great excuse to treat yourself. Birthdays come with the stress of aging and planning something. Name days, on the other hand, are more relaxed and are a great excuse to pamper yourself without any added pressure.

  3. It makes people feel connected

    It's a day to make others feel unique and connected. Everyone who shares a name is recognized on their name day; they receive flowers and gifts. This practice spans across nationality, religion, citizenship, and age, but is connected by the simple fact of sharing a name.

National Colin Day dates

YearDateDay
2025January 29Wednesday
2026January 29Thursday
2027January 29Friday
2028January 29Saturday
2029January 29Monday

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