California
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- kal-i-FOR-nya
- Origin
- Spanish
California is a girls' name of Spanish origin. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does California mean?
Spanish: US state, named from a fictional island in a Spanish romance
The state was named after Queen Calafia's island in the 16th-century Spanish romance Las sergas de Esplandián.
Is California a girl's or a boy's name?
California is a girls' name.
How popular is California in the US?
No girls in the US were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2007, with 16 girls. It first appears in the records in 1918.
Half of all the girls named California in the US since 1880 were born between 2006 and 2017, the years shaded on the chart below.
California in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 5 | #15,288 |
| 2023 | 5 | #15,188 |
| 2022 | 6 | #13,586 |
| 2021 | 10 | #9,557 |
| 2020 | 9 | #10,245 |
| 2019 | 13 | #8,134 |
| 2018 | 13 | #8,142 |
| 2017 | 16 | #7,088 |
| 2016 | 13 | #8,390 |
| 2015 | 11 | #9,476 |
| 2014 | 9 | #10,949 |
| 2013 | 15 | #7,744 |
| 2012 | 10 | #10,424 |
| 2011 | 11 | #9,719 |
| 2010 | 9 | #11,240 |
| 2009 | 15 | #8,054 |
| 2008 | 9 | #11,594 |
| 2007 | 16 | #7,729 |
| 2006 | 15 | #7,865 |
| 2005 | 10 | #10,123 |
| 2004 | 9 | #10,684 |
| 2003 | 0 | – |
| 2002 | 7 | #12,181 |
| 2001 | 0 | – |
| 2000 | 5 | #15,024 |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 0 | – |
| 1995 | 6 | #11,778 |
| 1994 | 0 | – |
| 1993 | 0 | – |
| 1992 | 0 | – |
| 1991 | 6 | #11,501 |
| 1990 | 0 | – |
| 1989 | 0 | – |
| 1988 | 0 | – |
| 1987 | 0 | – |
| 1986 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 0 | – |
| 1984 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 0 | – |
| 1981 | 0 | – |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 0 | – |
| 1976 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 0 | – |
| 1974 | 0 | – |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | – |
| 1971 | 0 | – |
| 1970 | 0 | – |
| 1969 | 0 | – |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | – |
| 1965 | 0 | – |
| 1964 | 0 | – |
| 1963 | 0 | – |
| 1962 | 0 | – |
| 1961 | 0 | – |
| 1960 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | 0 | – |
| 1958 | 0 | – |
| 1957 | 0 | – |
| 1956 | 0 | – |
| 1955 | 0 | – |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 0 | – |
| 1951 | 0 | – |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 0 | – |
| 1948 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 0 | – |
| 1946 | 0 | – |
| 1945 | 0 | – |
| 1944 | 0 | – |
| 1943 | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 0 | – |
| 1941 | 0 | – |
| 1940 | 0 | – |
| 1939 | 0 | – |
| 1938 | 0 | – |
| 1937 | 0 | – |
| 1936 | 0 | – |
| 1935 | 0 | – |
| 1934 | 0 | – |
| 1933 | 0 | – |
| 1932 | 0 | – |
| 1931 | 0 | – |
| 1930 | 0 | – |
| 1929 | 0 | – |
| 1928 | 0 | – |
| 1927 | 0 | – |
| 1926 | 0 | – |
| 1925 | 0 | – |
| 1924 | 0 | – |
| 1923 | 0 | – |
| 1922 | 0 | – |
| 1921 | 0 | – |
| 1920 | 0 | – |
| 1919 | 5 | #4,812 |
| 1918 | 6 | #4,289 |
Nicknames for California
Names like California
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Amelia, Emilia, Isabella, Ximena, Aria, Magnolia, Analia, Sophia, Alivia, Elianna, Cecilia, Arabella
More Spanish names
Santiago, Lola, Xavier, Amaya, Alaia, Diego, Rio, Cruz, Elian, Jesus, Javier, Esmeralda, Amayah, Reina, Cesar, Sierra
Sources
Figures from Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “California: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/california, updated 20 October 2026.