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Colman Name Meaning, Origins & History

Colman

Pronunciation: KOHL-mun

Meaning Little dove Origin Irish Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#9,076
TREND
1,233
Peak Years
2002, 1918, 1997
Lowest Years
1937, 1946, 1941
Energy Archetype
Cheerful & Expressive

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Colman in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Colman

  • More than 1 thousand babies named Colman: U.S. records list 1,045 babies given the name Colman from 1880 through 2025.

What Does the Name Colman Mean?

Colman is an anglicized form of the Irish name Colmán, a diminutive of Old Irish colm, "dove." Irish borrowed colm from Latin columba, also meaning "dove," and added the diminutive suffix -án, so the literal sense is "little dove." The name shares its root with Colum and Columba, but Colmán is a distinct form with its own diminutive ending.

A separate English origin exists for the surname Colman (also spelled Coleman), from Old English col, "charcoal," and mann, "man," denoting a charcoal burner, or from the Old English personal name Cola. That derivation belongs to the English surname and its use as a given name, not to the Irish Colmán, and the two should not be merged.

Colman Name History & Origins

Colmán was one of the most common names in early medieval Ireland, and Irish calendars of saints record numerous churchmen who bore it. Among them are Colmán mac Lénéni, a poet who died in 604 and was remembered as a chief poet of Ireland; Colmán of Cloyne, a sixth-century founder venerated as patron of the diocese of Cloyne; and Colmán of Lindisfarne, bishop of Lindisfarne in Northumbria, who led the Irish party at the Synod of Whitby in 664 and afterward founded a monastery on Inishbofin off the west coast of Ireland.

Irish monks and settlers carried the name to Scotland and northern England. It is not the same name as that of Saint Columba (Colum Cille, died 597), who bore the related root colm in a different form; the many Irish saints called Colmán are separate figures. An eleventh-century pilgrim venerated as Saint Coloman of Stockerau in Austria is often described as Irish, and his name is sometimes connected with Colmán, though that identification is not certain.

In Ireland the name also passed into hereditary surnames, anglicized as Colman and Coleman, alongside the unrelated English surname of the same spelling. The given name survives in both its Irish form Colmán and the shortened Colm or Colum, and as the English form Colman.

How Popular is the Name Colman?

Colman has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2002. Its best rank was #1,100 in 1909.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

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How the Name Colman Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.

Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.

✦ Colman's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Colman's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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