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Colon
How to Pronounce Colon
Pronounced koh-LOHN /koʊˈloʊn/Medium
Meaning: Colon, said koh-LOHN, is most plausibly from the Spanish surname Colón — the Spanish form of Columbus, borne by Cristóbal Colón (Christopher Columbus) — ultimately from Latin columba, 'dove'. As an English word 'colon' has other senses, so we anchor it to the Colón/Columbus route and flag the ambiguity.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Colon as a given name most plausibly comes from the Spanish surname Colón, the Hispanic form of Columbus borne by the explorer Cristóbal Colón, from Latin columba ('dove'). Because the same letters spell an ordinary English word with unrelated senses, we treat the name with care, anchor it to the Colón/Columbus namesake, and flag the ambiguity rather than assert a single origin.
As a first name it was always rare — a few dozen boys a year at its faint peak in the nineteen-twenties — and it faded across the century. It reads as a vintage namesake or surname name; with its route uncertain and its spelling shared by a common word, it has stayed obscure and is best approached with the koh-LOHN pronunciation in mind.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Colon mean?
Colon, said koh-LOHN, most likely comes from the Spanish surname Colón — the name of Columbus — from Latin 'dove'. We note the ambiguity honestly.
How do you pronounce Colon?
It's said koh-LOHN /koʊˈloʊn/ — two syllables, stress on the second, in the Spanish Colón manner.
Is Colon a boy or girl name?
Colon is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Colon?
Colon has always been rare in the U.S., a vintage namesake name most seen in the early twentieth century.