Colleen

Colleen is the anglicized version of the old Irish name Cailín, which means 'the girl'. The term comes from the Irish word cailín, meaning 'girl, young woman', and originally from the Old Irish caile for 'maid, virgin'.

What does the name Colleen mean?

Colleen is derived from the historical Irish name Cailín and means 'the girl'. The Irish word cailín stands for 'girl, young woman', while in Old Irish caile was used for 'maid, virgin'. Although Colleen has Irish origins, this first name is not widely used in Ireland. Instead, it has mainly appeared in the USA since the early 20th century. Variants of Colleen include Coleen, Coline, Collien, and Colline.

How do you pronounce Colleen?

The pronunciation of Colleen is soft and fluid, with a two-syllable sound. In German, the name is usually pronounced as 'Ko-LIEN' [koˈliːn], with the emphasis on the second syllable. The long 'I' sound at the end gives the name a certain brightness and elegance. Colleen sounds soft and melodic – feminine, harmonious, and stylish.

Popularity

Colleen is among the common first names in Germany. Currently, it ranks 3,210th in the list of the most popular female baby names. Its best ranking was achieved in 2007 with 732nd place. In the last ten years, Colleen has been given as a first name about 40 times, placing it 4,008th in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 2,897th.

Nicknames & pet names

Coco / Cocs / Col / Cole / Colle / Colli / Collin / Colly / Coolen / Coolenn / Leeni

Similar first names

Colien

Famous people

• Colleen Anne Fitzpatrick (actress from Australia)
• Colleen Ballinger (YouTube star)
• Colleen Bell (American film producer)
• Colleen Brandon Ortega (character in the US series Life in Pieces)
• Colleen Camp (actress)
• Colleen Clinkenbeard (American film director)
• Colleen Collett (character from the film Yoga Hosers)
• Colleen Cooper (character from the series 'Dr. Quinn')
• Colleen Coyne (American ice hockey player)
• Colleen D'Agostino (Serbian singer)
• Colleen Fahey (American rugby player)
• Colleen Faulkner (writer from the USA)
• Colleen Fernandez (host of VivaTV)
• Colleen Fitzgerald (American linguist)
• Colleen Fitzpatrick (singer from America)
• Colleen Flynn (actress from America)
• Colleen Gray (American actress)
• Colleen Hewett (Australian singer)
• Colleen Hoover (US author)
• Colleen Lovett (American singer)