NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Calvin

A masculine name derived from the French chauve meaning "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.

Calvin is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Calvin popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #826, with 39 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 159 births.

This profile covers 2,620 England and Wales registrations across 29 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 25% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 4,585 living people in the UK are called Calvin. 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

  • Calvin ranked #826 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 39 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1998, when 159 boys were registered as Calvin.
  • Calvin ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #191 in 2024.
  • About 4,585 living people in the UK are estimated to have Calvin as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#826

2024

Births in 2024

39

Latest year

Peak year

1998

159 births

Estimated living

4,585

2026

Meaning

What does Calvin mean?

The name Calvin has its origins in the Latin name Calvinus, which was a Roman family name derived from the Latin word calvus, meaning "bald" or "hairless." The name likely originated as a nickname or descriptive term for someone with little or no hair.

In the Early Middle Ages, the name was adopted as a given name by Christians, possibly in honor of Saint Calvinus, a 7th-century Christian martyr from Saxony. The name gained popularity during the Protestant Reformation, particularly among followers of the French theologian John Calvin (1509-1564), a key figure in the Protestant Reformation and the founder of Calvinism.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Calvin can be found in the 6th-century Latin text "Vitae Patrum" (Lives of the Fathers), which mentions a monk named Calvinus. In the 9th century, there was a Scottish bishop named Calvin who attended the Council of Chalcedon in 451.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals named Calvin. One of the most famous was John Calvin, the French Protestant reformer and theologian who lived from 1509 to 1564. He was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation and his teachings, known as Calvinism, profoundly influenced Christian theology and the development of the Reformed and Presbyterian churches.

Another notable Calvin was Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933), the 30th President of the United States. He served as president from 1923 to 1929 and was known for his conservative fiscal policies and his advocacy for civil rights.

Calvin Klein (born 1942) is an American fashion designer who founded the eponymous fashion house Calvin Klein Inc. He is renowned for his minimalist and modern designs, particularly in the areas of underwear, fragrances, and apparel.

In literature, Calvin is the name of the precocious and imaginative six-year-old protagonist in the comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes" by Bill Watterson, which ran from 1985 to 1995. The character Calvin and his stuffed tiger Hobbes became beloved cultural icons.

Calvin Harris (born 1984) is a Scottish DJ, record producer, and singer-songwriter. He has been one of the most successful and influential figures in the electronic dance music scene since the late 2000s, known for hits like "Feel So Close" and "Summer."

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Calvin over time

The chart below shows babies named Calvin 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 Calvin, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 39 births in 2024, compared with 159 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Calvin
04080119159199620102024

Decades

Calvin by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Calvin 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 #700 260 5
2010s #446 928 10
2000s #368 847 10
1990s #217 585 4

Geography

Where Calvin is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Calvin. 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.

Calvin ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #191 in 2024.

Scotland
22
Northern Ireland
6

Across the UK

Calvin in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#191 in 2024

42 years of NRS records, 1,672 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#278 in 2024

27 years of NISRA records, 331 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Calvin

  • Calvin Ramsay

    association football player

    Scottish association football player

    2003-

  • Calvin Harris

    association football player

    English association footballer

    2000-

  • Calvin Stitt

    American football player

    1999-

  • Calvin Miller

    association football player

    Scottish association football player (born 1998)

    1998-

  • Calvin K. Nevill-Kintu

    basketball player

    English basketball player (born 1997)

    1997-

  • Calvin Davies

    association football player

    British association football player (born 1997)

    1997-

  • Calvin Dickinson

    cricketer

    cricketer (born 1996)

    1996-

  • Calvin Colquhoun

    association football player

    Scottish association football player (born 1996)

    1996-

Related

Names similar to Calvin

FAQ

Calvin: questions and answers

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

In 2024, Calvin was ranked #826 for boys in England and Wales, with 39 births registered.

When was Calvin most popular?

The peak year on record was 1998, with 159 babies registered as Calvin in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Calvin?

A masculine name derived from the French chauve meaning "bald".

How many people are called Calvin in the UK?

A total of 2,620 babies have been registered as Calvin across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 1,672 more in Scotland and 331 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Calvin most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Calvin ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #191 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.