UK boy's name
Kalin
A masculine name of Bulgarian origin meaning "strong" or "hardy".
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.
Kalin is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Kalin popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4270, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2017, with 4 births.
This profile covers 34 England and Wales registrations across 10 recorded years from 2006 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 43 living people in the UK are called Kalin. 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
- • Kalin ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2017, when 4 boys were registered as Kalin.
- • Kalin ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #711 in 2020.
- • About 43 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kalin as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4270
2024
Births in 2024
4
Latest year
Peak year
2017
4 births
Estimated living
43
2026
Meaning
What does Kalin mean?
The name Kalin has its origins in the Slavic languages and cultures. It is derived from the Proto-Slavic root word "kal-", meaning "mud" or "swamp". This root word gave rise to various words in different Slavic languages related to mud, dirt, or swampy areas.
In the Bulgarian language, the name Kalin is a masculine given name that is believed to have originated in the Middle Ages. It is thought to have been used as a descriptive name for someone who lived near a swampy or muddy area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kalin can be found in the "Synodicon of Tsar Boril", a 13th-century Bulgarian manuscript that lists the names of Bulgarian nobles and clergy. This suggests that the name was in use among the Bulgarian aristocracy during that time period.
In the 14th century, a Bulgarian monk named Kalin is mentioned in the "Life of St. Hilarion of Moglena", a hagiography written by the Byzantine author Theophanes. This indicates that the name was also used in monastic circles at that time.
Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the name Kalin. One of the earliest was Kalin Raykov (c. 1830-1910), a Bulgarian revolutionary and one of the founders of the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (VMRO).
Another notable bearer of the name was Kalin Naydenov (1872-1965), a Bulgarian general who played a significant role in the Second Balkan War and World War I.
In the field of literature, Kalin Donkov (1889-1967) was a renowned Bulgarian poet and dramatist, known for his contributions to the symbolist movement.
Kalin Georgiev (1924-2003) was a Bulgarian composer and conductor who composed several operas and orchestral works, and served as the principal conductor of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra.
More recently, Kalin Anev (born 1966) is a Bulgarian businessman and philanthropist, known for his work in various charitable organizations and initiatives.
While the name Kalin has deep roots in the Slavic cultures, particularly in Bulgaria, it has also gained some popularity in other parts of the world due to migration and cultural exchange.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Kalin over time
The chart below shows babies named Kalin registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2006 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 Kalin, the clearest high point is 2017. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kalin by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kalin 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 | #4122 | 12 | 3 |
| 2010s | #4568 | 16 | 5 |
| 2000s | #4242 | 6 | 2 |
Geography
Where Kalin is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kalin. 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.
Kalin ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #711 in 2020.
Across the UK
Kalin in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#711 in 2020
3 years of NRS records, 9 total registered
Related
Names similar to Kalin
- Kieran 30,429
- Kyle 28,463
- Kai 24,432
- Kian 17,666
- Kayden 8,305
- Kevin 7,927
- Kane 7,149
- Kaiden 5,762
- Kieron 4,547
- Kacper 4,366
- Kye 4,012
- Kit 3,529
FAQ
Kalin: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kalin in the UK right now?
In 2024, Kalin was ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Kalin most popular?
The peak year on record was 2017, with 4 babies registered as Kalin in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kalin?
A masculine name of Bulgarian origin meaning "strong" or "hardy".
How many people are called Kalin in the UK?
A total of 34 babies have been registered as Kalin across the 10 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 9 more in Scotland.
Where is Kalin most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Kalin ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #711 in 2020. 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.