Naming trends come and go and sometimes once beloved names unfortunately fall to the wayside.
While they may have been left behind, that doesn’t mean they’re any less beautiful and eventually will, deservedly so, make a return to the spotlight, as trend cycles go.
We will always have a particular soft spot for Irish names and this once-popular pick, which has dropped on the charts significantly, is no exception.
Everyone will know at least one person with this name and you might be surprised to find that it is bordering on extinction in 2026.
Without further ado… the name in question is Colleen.
The English translation for the Irish word for ‘girl’, cailín, Colleen is a lovely choice for any little girl.
Pronounced caw-leen, there have been many famous Colleens over the years, including author Colleen Hoover, celeb sleuth Coleen Rooney and singer Colleen Nolan.
While it reached its peak in 1984 with 25 baby Colleens born, last year painted a very different picture for the classic Irish name, having been used just four times last year.
Gradually declining in popularity since 1984, when it sat in the 205th spot on Irish charts, 2025 saw it fall to 718th in the rankings.
With CSO records dating back to 1964, Colleen first appeared in 1968, with five baby girls given the name that year. Ascending to its peak in the 80s, since then it has been falling out of favour amongst parents in Ireland.
In order for a name to appear on Irish charts, it needs to be used more than three times in any given year. Colleen did not make this cut in 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023 or 2024.
Would you name your baby girl Colleen?
*This article was originally published on RollerCoaster.ie.