This unusual name is a variant form of the medieval surname "Cole" or "Coll", itself from "Colin", a short (pet) form of the personal name "Nicholas". The derivation of the name is from the Greek "Nikolaos", composed of the elements "nikan", to conquer, and "laos", people. "Nicholas" and its variants and diminutives was a popular name in the Middle Ages, partly due to the fame of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children and sailors. "Coliln" as a surname can also derive from the Old Scandinavian personal name "Kollr", "Koll" or "Kolli", an example of this source is found in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Col" and later (1204) as "Colle", "Colls", "Coules" and "Cowles" are the patronymic forms of the name, the final "s" being a reduced form of "son of". On February 18th 1776 Ann Colls and George Cromar were married in St. Pancras Old Church, London. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Osbert Colle. which was dated 1196, in the "Lincolnshire Pipe Rolls". during the reign of King Richard 1, known as "The Lionheart", 1189 - 1199. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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