UK boy's name
Cal
A diminutive of the masculine name Calvin, of Latin origin meaning "hairless" or "bald".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Cal is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Cal popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2263, with 10 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2003, with 14 births.
This profile covers 191 England and Wales registrations across 27 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland 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 71% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 383 living people in the UK are called Cal. 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 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Cal ranked #2263 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 10 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2003, when 14 boys were registered as Cal.
- • Cal ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #305 in 2024.
- • About 383 living people in the UK are estimated to have Cal as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2263
2024
Births in 2024
10
Latest year
Peak year
2003
14 births
Estimated living
383
2026
Meaning
What does Cal mean?
The name Cal is a diminutive form of the male given name Caleb, which has Hebrew origins. Caleb is derived from the Hebrew word "kelev," meaning "dog" or "whole-hearted." The name gained popularity after appearing in the Bible's Old Testament, where Caleb was one of the twelve spies sent by Moses to explore the Promised Land.
In the Book of Numbers, Caleb and Joshua were the only two spies who remained loyal to God and encouraged the Israelites to conquer the land. As a result, Caleb was rewarded with the territory around Hebron. This biblical association contributed significantly to the name's widespread use among various Christian communities throughout history.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Cal as a diminutive form can be traced back to the 12th century. Callo, a variant spelling, was used in medieval England and Scotland. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name gained traction among Puritans in England and later in the American colonies, where it was often spelled as Cal.
Notable historical figures with the name Cal include Cal Hubbard (1900-1977), an American baseball player who spent most of his career with the Philadelphia Athletics; Cal Coolidge (1872-1933), the 30th President of the United States, whose full name was John Calvin Coolidge; and Cal Ripken Jr. (born 1960), a legendary baseball player for the Baltimore Orioles, known for his record-breaking streak of 2,632 consecutive games played.
Other prominent individuals with the name Cal include Cal Tjader (1925-1982), an American jazz musician and pioneer of the Latin jazz movement; and Cal Farley (1903-1967), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded Cal Farley's Boys Ranch, a renowned organization dedicated to helping at-risk youth.
Throughout history, the name Cal has been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions across various fields, including sports, politics, music, and philanthropy. Its biblical origins and enduring popularity have solidified its place as a respected and recognizable given name.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Cal over time
The chart below shows babies named Cal registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Cal, the clearest high point is 2003. The latest England and Wales figure is 10 births in 2024, compared with 14 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Cal by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Cal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #3479 | 24 | 4 |
| 2010s | #2680 | 80 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2544 | 61 | 9 |
| 1990s | #1808 | 26 | 4 |
Geography
Where Cal is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Cal. 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.
Cal ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #305 in 2024.
Across the UK
Cal in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#614 in 2023
31 years of NRS records, 143 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#305 in 2024
14 years of NISRA records, 52 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Cal
-
Cal Crutchlow
motorcycle development rider; motorcycle racer
British motorcycle racer
1985-
-
Cal McCrystal
actor; director
1959-
Related
Names similar to Cal
- 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
Cal: questions and answers
How popular is the name Cal in the UK right now?
In 2024, Cal was ranked #2263 for boys in England and Wales, with 10 births registered.
When was Cal most popular?
The peak year on record was 2003, with 14 babies registered as Cal in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Cal?
A diminutive of the masculine name Calvin, of Latin origin meaning "hairless" or "bald".
How many people are called Cal in the UK?
A total of 191 babies have been registered as Cal across the 27 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 143 more in Scotland and 52 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Cal most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Cal ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #305 in 2024. 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.