Cal Boy

Popularity: #480 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: kal //kæl//

Origin: Latin; English

Meaning: Latin: 'bald'; English: diminutive of names like Calvin or Callum

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Cal is derived from the Latin name "Callus," which means "bald" or "hairless." This Latin term evolved through various forms, including the Old French "Cal" and Middle English adaptations, before entering modern English usage. The name is often considered a diminutive of names such as Calvin or Caleb, both of which have distinct etymological roots.

Calvin, for instance, comes from the Latin "Calvinus," meaning "little bald one," while Caleb has Hebrew origins, meaning "faithful" or "devotion." The transition into English reflects a broader trend of adopting and adapting names from Latin and French during the medieval period, particularly as the Norman Conquest in the 11th century facilitated the integration of Norman French into the English language. Historically, the name Cal has connections to notable figures, including John Calvin, a prominent theologian of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.

Calvin's influence on Christian thought and practice has made the name Calvin significant in religious contexts, which in turn has contributed to the use of its diminutive, Cal, in various cultures. Additionally, the name Caleb appears in the Hebrew Bible as one of the spies sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan, further embedding the name within a rich historical and religious narrative that spans centuries.

Culturally, the name Cal carries connotations of strength and loyalty, particularly through its association with biblical figures like Caleb, who is often celebrated for his faith and courage. The simplicity and brevity of the name Cal lend it a timeless quality, making it resonate across different eras and cultures.

This enduring appeal is reflected in its use in literature and popular culture, where characters named Cal often embody traits of resilience and integrity.

Famous people named Cal

In this section, you will find notable people named Cal. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Cal who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Cal who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Cal Ripken Jr. is a former professional baseball player best known for his time with the Baltimore Orioles, his consecutive games played streak, and his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Fictional characters named Cal

The following list of fictional characters named Cal is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Cal is a fictional character from the video game series Final Fantasy. He is a prominent character in Final Fantasy XV, serving as a member of the main protagonist's entourage.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Cal, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Cal. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Cal was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Cal has ranked as high as #1097 nationally, which occurred in 2025, and has been most popular in California, Texas, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Utah.

In the past 5 years the name Cal has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Cal is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Cal was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Cal.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 554 554 0
2024 409 409 0
2023 373 373 0
2022 343 343 0
2021 263 263 0
2020 235 235 0
2019 166 166 0
2018 150 150 0
2017 159 159 0
2016 160 160 0
2015 144 144 0
2014 129 129 0
2013 99 99 0
2012 90 90 0
2011 88 88 0
2010 88 88 0
2009 94 94 0
2008 90 90 0
2007 100 100 0
2006 85 85 0
2005 90 90 0
2004 84 84 0
2003 88 88 0
2002 95 95 0
2001 89 89 0
2000 88 88 0
1999 69 69 0
1998 72 72 0
1997 93 93 0
1996 112 112 0
1995 84 84 0
1994 47 47 0
1993 52 52 0
1992 68 68 0
1991 51 51 0
1990 41 41 0
1989 33 33 0
1988 37 37 0
1987 23 23 0
1986 36 36 0
1985 36 36 0
1984 43 43 0
1983 32 32 0
1982 28 28 0
1981 33 33 0
1980 32 32 0
1979 24 24 0
1978 20 20 0
1977 31 31 0
1976 34 34 0
1975 31 31 0
1974 28 28 0
1973 25 25 0
1972 34 34 0
1971 24 24 0
1970 37 37 0
1969 26 26 0
1968 41 41 0
1967 31 31 0
1966 43 43 0
1965 33 33 0
1964 53 53 0
1963 67 67 0
1962 51 51 0
1961 48 48 0
1960 65 65 0
1959 60 60 0
1958 61 61 0
1957 78 78 0
1956 71 71 0
1955 52 47 5
1954 54 49 5
1953 49 49 0
1952 42 42 0
1951 47 47 0
1950 34 34 0
1949 33 33 0
1948 50 50 0
1947 44 44 0
1946 27 27 0
1945 26 26 0
1944 29 29 0
1943 28 28 0
1942 26 26 0
1941 25 25 0
1940 21 21 0
1939 22 22 0
1938 17 17 0
1937 21 21 0
1936 25 25 0
1935 23 23 0
1934 23 23 0
1933 21 21 0
1932 23 23 0
1931 21 21 0
1930 19 19 0
1929 15 15 0
1928 19 19 0
1927 26 26 0
1926 30 30 0
1925 21 21 0
1924 32 32 0
1923 31 31 0
1922 23 23 0
1921 30 30 0
1920 22 22 0
1919 19 19 0
1918 29 29 0
1917 29 29 0
1916 11 11 0
1915 26 26 0
1914 20 20 0
1913 17 17 0
1912 7 7 0
1911 8 8 0
1910 10 10 0
1909 5 5 0
1908 5 5 0
1907 6 6 0
1906 11 11 0
1905 8 8 0
1903 6 6 0
1902 8 8 0
1900 10 10 0
1898 8 8 0
1897 9 9 0
1896 6 6 0
1895 12 12 0
1894 9 9 0
1893 11 11 0
1892 10 10 0
1891 9 9 0
1890 13 13 0
1889 13 13 0
1888 9 9 0
1887 5 5 0
1886 7 7 0
1885 5 5 0
1884 6 6 0
1883 14 14 0
1882 16 16 0
1881 10 10 0
1880 19 19 0

Top States for Cal (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 41
11%
TX 36
10%
UT 33
9%
WI 21
6%
NY 18
5%
MN 16
4%
MI 15
4%
WA 13
4%
OR 13
4%
FL 13
4%
IL 13
4%
NE 13
4%
AZ 12
3%
IA 12
3%
OH 11
3%
MA 9
3%
CO 9
3%
ID 9
3%
NC 9
3%
PA 8
2%
OK 7
2%
TN 7
2%
MT 6
2%
SD 6
2%
IN 5
1%
KS 5
1%