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At a Glance
- Meaning
- Girl
- Origin
- Irish
- Gender
- Girl
- Pronunciation
- kah-LEEN
Colleen is a vintage, classic girl's name that has stayed timeless. It's pronounced kah-LEEN, and it means 'girl.' You'll often see it described as a traditional Irish name, but that's a bit misleading: cailín isn't used as a given name in Ireland, and Colleen arose as an English borrowing of the Irish word.
Meaning & Origin of Colleen
Meaning: Girl.
Origin: Irish.
A common claim: Often presented as a traditional Irish girl's name meaning 'girl.' Actually: The meaning 'girl' is accurate, but calling it a traditional Irish name is misleading — cailín isn't used as a given name in Ireland; the name arose as an English borrowing of the Irish word.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Colleen
kah-LEENIPA /kɑːˈliːn/
Popularity of Colleen
Colleen peaked at #93 in 1965, when 4,029 babies were given the name. By 2024 it had slipped to #2797, with 60 babies.
Names Like Colleen
These names share Colleen’s style, era or origin.
FAQ
What does the name Colleen mean?
Girl. (Source: Wiktionary)
How do you pronounce Colleen?
Colleen is pronounced kah-LEEN (IPA: /kɑːˈliːn/).
Is Colleen a popular name right now?
Colleen peaked at #93 in 1965 and is ranked #2797 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1901–2024.)
Make Colleen Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Colleen, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
📊 How popular is Colleen? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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