UK boy's name
Cailum
A masculine Gaelic name of Scottish origin meaning "dove" or "calm".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2012. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Cailum is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Cailum popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2012 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4805, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2000, with 5 births.
This profile covers 47 England and Wales registrations across 13 recorded years from 1996 to 2012. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 60% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 66 living people in the UK are called Cailum. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2013 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Cailum ranked #4805 for boys in England and Wales in 2012, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2000, when 5 boys were registered as Cailum.
- • Cailum ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #374 in 2021.
- • About 66 living people in the UK are estimated to have Cailum as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4805
2012
Births in 2012
3
Latest year
Peak year
2000
5 births
Estimated living
66
2026
Meaning
What does Cailum mean?
The name Cailum is a variant spelling of the Scottish Gaelic name Calum, which is itself an Anglicized form of the name Colum. It is derived from the Latin name Columba, meaning "dove." This name has its roots in early Christianity and the spread of the religion throughout the British Isles.
One of the earliest and most famous bearers of this name was Saint Columba, an Irish abbot and missionary who was instrumental in the spread of Christianity in Scotland. Born in Donegal, Ireland in 521 AD, he founded the famous monastery on the island of Iona off the west coast of Scotland, which became a significant center of learning and religious life.
Another notable figure from history with this name was Calum Cille, also known as Colum Cille or Columba, who was an Irish abbot and missionary active in the late 6th century. He is credited with establishing several monasteries in Scotland and is regarded as one of the most influential figures in the early Christian church in the region.
In the 9th century, a Scottish king named Calum mac Ailpein, or Calum I, ruled the Kingdom of Alba (the precursor to the Kingdom of Scotland) from 844 to 858 AD. He is remembered for his efforts to unite the various Scottish kingdoms under his rule.
During the Middle Ages, the name Calum was popular among Scottish nobility and clan leaders. One such figure was Calum Caimbeul, or Calum Campbell, who was the 1st Lord of Argyll and lived from around 1432 to 1493. He was a prominent figure in Scottish politics and military affairs during the reigns of James III and James IV.
In more recent history, Calum MacDonald (1824-1886) was a Scottish-born Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Canadian House of Commons and was involved in the construction of several railways in Ontario.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Cailum or its variants, but the name has deep roots in Scottish and Irish culture, with connections to early Christianity and the spread of the religion in the British Isles.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Cailum over time
The chart below shows babies named Cailum registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2012. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Cailum, the clearest high point is 2000. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2012, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cailum by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Cailum was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4335 | 7 | 2 |
| 2000s | #3368 | 29 | 8 |
| 1990s | #2561 | 11 | 3 |
Geography
Where Cailum is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Cailum. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Cailum ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #374 in 2021.
Across the UK
Cailum in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#374 in 2021
6 years of NISRA records, 20 total registered
Related
Names similar to Cailum
- Charlie 104,761
- Callum 65,796
- Connor 53,072
- Cameron 40,394
- Charles 33,091
- Christopher 26,849
- Caleb 15,553
- Corey 12,622
- Carter 11,505
- Cody 11,075
- Conor 10,298
- Christian 9,695
FAQ
Cailum: questions and answers
How popular is the name Cailum in the UK right now?
In 2012, Cailum was ranked #4805 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Cailum most popular?
The peak year on record was 2000, with 5 babies registered as Cailum in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Cailum?
A masculine Gaelic name of Scottish origin meaning "dove" or "calm".
How many people are called Cailum in the UK?
A total of 47 babies have been registered as Cailum across the 13 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here and 20 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Cailum most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Cailum ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #374 in 2021. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.