Colman is an uncommon, yet distinguished male given name of Irish origin. It derives from the Old Irish word 'colmáin', which means 'dream'. The name was initially popular in Ireland but has since gained international recognition due to notable figures bearing it, such as the prominent British actor Colman Domingo and the acclaimed Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, whose original first name was George Colman.
The name Colman experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over the course of a century, with peaks and valleys that are quite noticeable. The highest number of births recorded was in 1995 with 20 babies named Colman, followed by another high point in 2002 with 27 births. However, there were also periods where the name was barely used at all, such as in the late 1940s and early 1950s, when only a handful of babies were given the name each year. Overall, there were a total of 1027 babies named Colman between 1909 and 2023.