Calum
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- KAL-um
- Origin
- Latin
- UK rank, 2025
- #1,102 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #799 for boys
Big in ScotlandBig in Northern Ireland
Calum is a boys' name of Latin origin, meaning “dove”. In 2025 it ranked 1,102nd for boys in the UK (29 babies) and 799th for boys in the US (313 babies).
What does Calum mean?
Latin: Scottish Gaelic form of Columba, from Latin
“dove”
The traditional Scottish Gaelic spelling of the name, honouring St Columba of Iona.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Calum a girl's or a boy's name?
Calum is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 29 boys in the UK and 313 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Calum in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,102among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 29about 1 in 10,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 55% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 29 boys in the UK were named Calum, making it the 1,102nd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 610th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 986 boys.
2025 had the fewest boys named Calum since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Calum in the UK since 1996 were born between 1999 and 2008. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
In 2025, 312 boys in the UK were given Calum or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #192, up from #1,102 for this spelling alone.
Among boys in 2025, it was 3,239th in England and Wales and 178th in Scotland.
Calum in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 29 | #1,102 |
| 2024 | 44 | #824 |
| 2023 | 33 | #1,008 |
| 2022 | 55 | #700 |
| 2021 | 62 | #654 |
| 2020 | 66 | #610 |
| 2019 | 81 | #533 |
| 2018 | 87 | #507 |
| 2017 | 119 | #411 |
| 2016 | 146 | #358 |
| 2015 | 186 | #297 |
| 2014 | 153 | #335 |
| 2013 | 190 | #278 |
| 2012 | 191 | #274 |
| 2011 | 266 | #218 |
| 2010 | 340 | #181 |
| 2009 | 373 | #164 |
| 2008 | 495 | #133 |
| 2007 | 639 | #109 |
| 2006 | 913 | #86 |
| 2005 | 717 | #98 |
| 2004 | 425 | #138 |
| 2003 | 490 | #122 |
| 2002 | 489 | #115 |
| 2001 | 480 | #112 |
| 2000 | 545 | #108 |
| 1999 | 701 | #88 |
| 1998 | 842 | #80 |
| 1997 | 912 | #80 |
| 1996 | 986 | #73 |
How popular is Calum in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #799among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 313about 1 in 5,500 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 23% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 313 boys in the US were named Calum, making it the 799th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 928th. It first appears in the records in 1978.
2025 had the most boys named Calum of any year since it first appeared, in 1978.
Half of all the boys named Calum in the US since 1880 were born between 2010 and 2022, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 3,466 boys in the US were given Calum or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #114, up from #799 for this spelling alone.
Calum in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 313 | #799 |
| 2024 | 259 | #904 |
| 2023 | 262 | #887 |
| 2022 | 303 | #817 |
| 2021 | 284 | #837 |
| 2020 | 240 | #928 |
| 2019 | 238 | #919 |
| 2018 | 202 | #1,018 |
| 2017 | 140 | #1,293 |
| 2016 | 92 | #1,694 |
| 2015 | 76 | #1,910 |
| 2014 | 51 | #2,459 |
| 2013 | 50 | #2,460 |
| 2012 | 49 | #2,516 |
| 2011 | 69 | #1,987 |
| 2010 | 56 | #2,286 |
| 2009 | 64 | #2,118 |
| 2008 | 63 | #2,139 |
| 2007 | 64 | #2,117 |
| 2006 | 43 | #2,697 |
| 2005 | 50 | #2,321 |
| 2004 | 40 | #2,639 |
| 2003 | 44 | #2,388 |
| 2002 | 44 | #2,333 |
| 2001 | 49 | #2,113 |
| 2000 | 35 | #2,616 |
| 1999 | 31 | #2,718 |
| 1998 | 48 | #1,984 |
| 1997 | 44 | #2,021 |
| 1996 | 43 | #2,013 |
| 1995 | 27 | #2,680 |
| 1994 | 31 | #2,439 |
| 1993 | 19 | #3,362 |
| 1992 | 15 | #3,912 |
| 1991 | 13 | #4,223 |
| 1990 | 17 | #3,461 |
| 1989 | 9 | #5,158 |
| 1988 | 6 | #6,420 |
| 1987 | 7 | #5,453 |
| 1986 | 0 | – |
| 1985 | 5 | #6,517 |
| 1984 | 0 | – |
| 1983 | 0 | – |
| 1982 | 0 | – |
| 1981 | 6 | #5,466 |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 0 | – |
| 1978 | 5 | #5,769 |
Nicknames for Calum
- Cal 10 boys in the UK in 2025
Names like Calum
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Liam Luca Cooper Remy Connor Dylan Carter Adam Ethan Oliver Owen Rio
Other spellings of Calum
Names related to Calum
More Latin names
Olivia Leo Roman Aurora Emily Florence Mabel Luna Nora Rosie Emilia Max Nova Lucy Julian Clara
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and 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, “Calum: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/calum, updated 20 October 2026.