‘’Collins’’ is indeed very Irish. However, as my own family research has shown many Irish names thought to be Irish, were actually Scot in origin. Many of the names with ‘’Mc’’ (as is part of my surname) are Scot in origin.Many Irish names were changed over generations for many reasons. Religious reasons, either marrying into or out of a Catholic or Protestant family or changed in order to enroll in an institute of higher learning, join the military or when immigrating here to America to hide a criminal record or a politically troubled past or to better fit into America society, to be ‘’free of the smell of the peat’’ as the saying went.
I suspect she was Irish but you can never be certain. She was small and judging from her 9 children’s looks was probably attractive.
She was also kin to Florida Governor LeRoy Collins but I am not sure exactly what but probably was a Cousin.