Collier Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Collier last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Collier coat of arms for you.
Meaning and origin of the Collier last name
Meaning of the Collier last name: charcoal burner. Collier is an English surname for a maker or seller of charcoal, from the old word col, "charcoal". Charcoal burning was a woodland trade, so the last name is common near the old forests of southern and western England. A curious detail: only later did collier come to mean a coal miner, so most early bearers of this surname worked with wood, not coal. English settlers carried it to Virginia and the Carolinas.
Arms associated with the Collier name
In England younger sons added small heraldic marks to their father's coat of arms, so relatives named Collier could each carry a slightly different shield.
Get your full Collier family history
This is only a glimpse of the Collier story. The full Collier history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Collier coat of arms. Get the full Collier report.
Collier name FAQ
What does the Collier name mean?
Charcoal burner. Common variants include Colyer, Collyer, Colier.
Where does the Collier surname come from?
It originates in England, and is also found in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Is there a Collier coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Collier coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: Reaney & Wilson, Dictionary of English Surnames; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).