Where does the name Colleen come from?

Colleen is a girl name of Irish origin.

Is Colleen a boy or a girl name?

Colleen is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 162,634 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.

How popular is the name Colleen in 2023?

Colleen ranks #2246 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1964 with 4,546 babies.

How do you pronounce Colleen?

Colleen is pronounced kol-EEN (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Colleen?

Colleen is also written as Coleen, Colene.

A name from Irish · Girl

Colleen

From Irish cailín meaning simply 'girl' or 'young woman'. Used as a given name primarily in Irish-American communities since the early 20th century — almost unheard-of in Ireland itself.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 122-year arc in numbers.

162,634 U.S. births recorded from 1901–2023.

Popularity · 1901–2023

83 births in 2023

1901 1962 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

CFrom Irish cailín meaning simply 'girl' or 'young woman'. Used as a given name primarily in Irish-American communities since the early 20th century — almost unheard-of in Ireland itself.

Variants & spellings

2 ways to spell "Colleen".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Coleen Most common Colene

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Colleen.

C
Colleen Hoover (bestselling novelist)
C
Colleen Dewhurst (actress)
C
Colleen Atwood (Oscar-winning costume designer)

Quick answers

People often ask about Colleen.

What does the name Colleen mean?: Colleen means from Irish cailín meaning simply 'girl' or 'young woman'. Used as a given name primarily in Irish-American communities since the early 20th century — almost unheard-of in Ireland itself.
Where does the name Colleen come from?: Colleen is a girl name of Irish origin.
Is Colleen a boy or a girl name?: Colleen is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 162,634 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.
How popular is the name Colleen in 2023?: Colleen ranks #2246 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1964 with 4,546 babies.
How do you pronounce Colleen?: Colleen is pronounced kol-EEN (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Colleen?: Colleen is also written as Coleen, Colene.

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.