Colin VS Collin

amandapettet · June 2009

[Poll]

shanBmcg · June 2009

I voted that you could spell it either way but have to admit that when I see Colin I always pause and wonder how the bearer prefers it to be pronounced. So, if I were concerned about the safest route I would go with the double l's. For some reason, though, I think Colin is more masculine looking. Don't ask me why.

newportbride715 · June 2009

It can be pronounced either way, but I still prefer one L. I believe this is the traditional Irish spelling. 2 L's is a variant. The only Colin's I know have 1 'L' and say Call-in. Not Cole-in. To me, Collin looks like a last name.

blueskybride · June 2009

I prefer the spelling Colin, but be prepared for some folks to say Cole-in. Colin is the Scottish derivative of Nicholas and Cole is a derivative as well, so I wonder if that's the root of the Cole-in pronunciation.

CourtneyRDH · June 2009

Colin and Collin are both pronounced the same, but if you definitely want to avoid the colon pronunciation go with Collin.

DMDavidson · June 2009

newportbride715:
It can be pronounced either way, but I still prefer one L. I believe this is the traditional Irish spelling. 2 L's is a variant. The only Colin's I know have 1 'L' and say Call-in. Not Cole-in. To me, Collin looks like a last name.

I agree - you can spell it both ways, but I actually like Colin better. Collin reminds me more of the last name Collins and I really don't think many people will be so unfamiliar with the spelling Colin to pronounce it Cole-in over Call-in.

LMS05 · June 2009

Colin is pronounced 2 ways: cole-in and call-in

Collin is pronounced 1 way: call-in

Go with Collin since you don't want it pronounced cole-in?

wheelenl · June 2009

My son is Call-in, spelled "Colin." Only his great-grandfather, in his late 80s, called him that. Of course, that's how Colin Powell spells his name, but he's the exception.

That said, we went with Colin, one l, because it's more popular and thus we thought the obvious spelling. But in fact just as many people spell it with two Ls, like when he does a coloring sheet at church or at the doctor's office, etc.

FWIW.