Cullins
A surname that usually developed as a patronymic or variant spelling of Collins, meaning “son of Colin” or “descendant of Colin.”
The #9,283 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 88,062 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Cullins is generally understood as a variant spelling of Collins, a surname built from the personal name Colin. Colin itself was used in medieval Britain as a pet form of Nicholas, and in some cases it also overlaps with Gaelic naming traditions. The surname therefore most likely began as a family-name meaning “son of Colin” or “descendant of Colin.”
History
Variant spellings of common surnames often became fixed when families migrated, clerks recorded names by ear, or local pronunciation shifted. Cullins is found chiefly in English-speaking countries, especially the United States, where many such spellings were preserved independently of the more common Collins form. In some lines it may also reflect Irish or Scottish surname adaptation after anglicization.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because spelling was not standardized for much of history, Cullins and Collins could sometimes be close relatives of the same ancestral family line.