Total births
162,754
Girls' name · since 1901
Colleen
Since 1901, U.S. Social Security records show 162,754 babies named Colleen, peaking in 1964. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2801
- among girls today
- 162,754
- born since 1901
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Colleen is the #2801 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 162,754 recorded since 1901.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Colleen has been recorded 162,754 times among girls since 1901, currently ranked #2801 nationally and more common than 84% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1901 to 2025.
- #2801 among girls today
- 162,754 born since 1901
- 1960s peak decade
- 84% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Colleen is currently the #2801 girls' name in America, more common than 84% of girls - 162,754 born since 1901, peaking in the 1960s.
- #2801
- among girls today
- 162,754
- born since 1901
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 84%
- more common than other girls
Colleen vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2801
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 84% of names given to girls today.
1960s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Colleen was born in this single decade.
1964
Single peak year
4,546 babies were named Colleen in 1964 - its busiest year on record.
How Colleen compares
162,754 Top 1% higher than 99% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Colleen's all-time total is 426x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Colleen | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 162,754 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 4,546 | 48 | 19,840 |
Colleen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Colleen's full recorded timeline at 1964, 52% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 48% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1903, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1964 peak of 4,546 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Colleen at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1964
Current rank
#2,801
Active since
1901
Colleen popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1901–2025
- Peak year (1964)
- 4,546
- Annual births at peak, across 125 years of records
Colleen popularity over time - boys
330 total births recorded since 1927 (Colleen as boys' name)
Colleen by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Colleen's strongest decade.
40,673 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Colleen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 72
1900s
72 births
- 1910s 413
1910s
413 births
- 1920s 6,080
1920s
6,080 births
- 1930s 7,428
1930s
7,428 births
- 1940s 10,473
1940s
10,473 births
- 1950s
1950s
35,913 births
- 1960s
1960s
40,673 births
- 1970s
1970s
23,759 births
- 1980s
1980s
19,468 births
- 1990s 12,927
1990s
12,927 births
- 2000s 3,881
2000s
3,881 births
- 2010s 1,274
2010s
1,274 births
- 2020s 393
2020s
393 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 40,673 births (25% of all-time use).
How Colleen compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Colleen's total volume
Colleen vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Colleen by state
Where Colleen concentrates geographically, total births since 1901
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 18,685 | 11.5% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 14,379 | 8.8% |
| #3 | California | | 13,622 | 8.4% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 11,382 | 7.0% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 9,880 | 6.1% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 8,366 | 5.1% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 8,295 | 5.1% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 7,411 | 4.6% |
New York share of Colleen's total US births 11.5%
Even split
18,685 of 162,754 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Colleen appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Colleen? ▼
162,754 babies have been named Colleen since 1901. It currently ranks #2801 among girls. The peak year was 1964 with 4,546 births.
When was Colleen most popular? ▼
Colleen was most popular in the 1960s decade with 40,673 total births. The single peak year was 1964.
Where is Colleen most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Colleen are New York (18,685 births), Pennsylvania (14,379 births), California (13,622 births).
How long has the name Colleen been used? ▼
Records for Colleen go back to 1901, giving 125 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Colleen? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Colette, Coleen, Collins, Collette, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Colleen's data
- Colleen's decade-level peak was the 1960s (40,673 total births); usage has since declined to 393 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Colleens (18,685 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Colleen
Nearby Names Like Colleen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Colleen
Colette Girl
#401 27,987 births
Coleen Girl
11,998 births
Collins Girl
#257 10,779 births
Collette Girl
#2698 7,672 births
Colby Girl
#3243 4,184 births
Compare Colleen side by side: Colleen vs Colette Colleen vs Coleen Colleen vs Collins
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Colleen
Suzanna #2800
9,648 births · Peak 1973
Darcie #2802
5,753 births · Peak 1971
Carlota #2799
2,460 births · Peak 2023
Medina #2803
1,987 births · Peak 2024
Lynn #2798
182,387 births · Peak 1956
Mirella #2804
3,280 births · Peak 1997
Vanellope #2797
840 births · Peak 2019
Malorie #2805
4,027 births · Peak 1987
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1901–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Colleen: #2801 Girls' Name - 162,754 Births, Peak 1964." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/colleen. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Colleen draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.