I’ve heard that but it leaves me wondering why do some people carry the surname “Collie”? Could it be that the dog is named after a man as the “Doberman” Pinscher is or the “Jack Russell” Terrier?
Often it’s bandied that Collies are named for the sheep name typical in the region, perhaps colley. Not sure if that ties in with coal, but I sort of recall talk of black sheep.
Not surprising if people are also named for this. The collie type is very old.
The exact origin of the name “Collie” is uncertain, although it may derive from the Scots word for “coal”[1] – many collie types are black or black-and-white. Alternatively it may come from the related word colley, referring to the black-faced mountain sheep of Scotland. -— says Wikipedia.
I haven’t heard the surname “Collie.” interesting.