NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Calais

A feminine name of French origin meaning "beautiful".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2008. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Calais is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Calais popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2008 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4524, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2008, with 4 births.

This profile covers 13 England and Wales registrations across 4 recorded years from 1998 to 2008. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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.

Calais is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.

We estimate that about 13 living people in the UK are called Calais. 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 2009 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Calais ranked #4524 for girls in England and Wales in 2008, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2008, when 4 girls were registered as Calais.
  • About 13 living people in the UK are estimated to have Calais as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#4524

2008

Births in 2008

4

Latest year

Peak year

2008

4 births

Estimated living

13

2026

Meaning

What does Calais mean?

The name Calais is believed to have originated from the ancient Greek word "kallos," meaning "beauty" or "beautiful." It is thought to have been derived from the name of the French city of Calais, which was once known as "Calais the Beautiful" due to its picturesque location on the English Channel.

The earliest recorded use of the name Calais can be traced back to the 16th century, when it was used as a masculine name in various parts of Europe. In ancient Greek mythology, Calais was the name of one of the Boreades, the winged sons of Boreas, the god of the north wind.

One of the earliest notable individuals to bear the name Calais was Calais of Argos, a Greek sculptor who lived in the 5th century BC. He is known for his sculptural works that adorned the Acropolis of Athens.

In the 12th century, Calais was the name of a French troubadour and crusader who participated in the Third Crusade. He is mentioned in various historical accounts and chronicles of the era.

During the Renaissance period, Calais was the name of an Italian painter and architect who lived from 1510 to 1592. He was known for his frescoes and architectural designs in various churches and palaces in Italy.

In the 19th century, Calais was the name of a French explorer and naturalist who traveled extensively in Africa and South America. He was born in 1820 and is credited with discovering several new species of plants and animals.

Another notable bearer of the name Calais was an American poet and writer who lived from 1892 to 1986. He was known for his poetry collections and literary works that explored themes of nature, love, and the human condition.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Calais over time

The chart below shows babies named Calais registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1998 to 2008. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Calais, the clearest high point is 2008. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2008, compared with 4 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Calais
01234199820032008

Decades

Calais by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Calais 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
2000s #4528 10 3
1990s #3848 3 1

Related

Names similar to Calais

FAQ

Calais: questions and answers

How popular is the name Calais in the UK right now?

In 2008, Calais was ranked #4524 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Calais most popular?

The peak year on record was 2008, with 4 babies registered as Calais in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Calais?

A feminine name of French origin meaning "beautiful".

How many people are called Calais in the UK?

A total of 13 babies have been registered as Calais across the 4 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

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.