Coilin: Meaning, Pronunciation and Origin
Coilin is an Irish boy's name meaning “whelp, pup.” Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Irish spelling
- Cóilín
- Meaning
- Whelp, pup
- Gender
- Boy
- English forms
- Colin
How do you pronounce Coilin?
Coilin is pronounced KOH-lin. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Coilin mean?
Coilín is a variant of the old Irish name Coileán, which means “whelp.” In modern Irish coileán means a pup or cub, and also a youth. Patrick Woulfe noted in 1923 that Coileán matched the Scottish Cailean, the Colin of the Campbells, and that in later times it was found mostly among the O’Dempseys.
Anglo-Irish families also used Coilín as a pet form of Nicol or Nicholas, in line with the English Colin, a medieval diminutive of Nicholas. A separate name, Cóilín, with a fada on the o, is a diminutive of Colmán and is used in Connemara.
Sources: Woulfe, Irish Names and Surnames (1923), Ó Dónaill's Irish dictionary (teanglann.ie), Behind the Name.
How popular is Coilin in Ireland?
Coilin wasn't in the 2025 tables, which list names given to at least three babies. It was last recorded in 2018, when 3 baby boys got the name. It was most popular in 1987, when 4 baby boys were named Coilin, No. 272 that year. The most babies got the name in 1997: 5. It first appears in the records in 1975, with 4 baby boys.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 3 | No. 749 (Cóilín) |
| 2008 | 3 | No. 698 (Coilin) |
| 2006 | 3 | No. 596 (Coilin) |
| 2005 | 3 | No. 518 (Coilin) |
| 2004 | 3 | No. 506 (Coilin) |
| 1997 | 5 | No. 303 (Coilin) |
| 1987 | 4 | No. 272 (Coilin) |
| 1983 | 3 | No. 330 (Coilin) |
| 1975 | 4 | No. 290 (Coilin) |
Coilin in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Coilin, letter by letter.
- CColl, hazel
- OOnn, gorse
- IIodhadh, yew
- LLuis, rowan
- IIodhadh, yew
- NNion, ash
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with Coilin
Questions about Coilin
- How do you pronounce Coilin?
- Coilin is pronounced KOH-lin. Two syllables, stress on the first.
- What does Coilin mean?
- Coilin means “whelp, pup.”
- Is Coilin a girl's name or a boy's name?
- Coilin is a boy's name.
- How do you spell Coilin in Irish?
- In Irish it's spelled Cóilín. That's the spelling most parents in Ireland now register, according to the Central Statistics Office.
- What is Coilin in English?
- The English form of Coilin is Colin.