UK boy's name
Kallum
A Scottish masculine name derived from the Greek name "Columba", meaning "dove".
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.
Kallum is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Kallum popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2921, with 7 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 169 births.
This profile covers 1,790 England and Wales registrations across 28 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 4% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,845 living people in the UK are called Kallum. 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
- • Kallum ranked #2921 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 7 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1998, when 169 boys were registered as Kallum.
- • Kallum ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #418 in 2019.
- • About 1,845 living people in the UK are estimated to have Kallum as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2921
2024
Births in 2024
7
Latest year
Peak year
1998
169 births
Estimated living
1,845
2026
Meaning
What does Kallum mean?
The given name Kallum is believed to have originated from the Scottish Gaelic name Calum, which is a variation of the Latin name Columba, meaning "dove." Its roots can be traced back to the 6th century AD, when St. Columba, an Irish monk and missionary, brought Christianity to Scotland and established a monastery on the island of Iona.
The name Kallum gained popularity in Scotland and Ireland during the Middle Ages, as it was associated with the venerated figure of St. Columba. It was often bestowed upon children as a way to honor the saint and invoke his blessings.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kallum can be found in the Annals of Ulster, an ancient chronicle that dates back to the 15th century. The Annals mention a Kallum mac Áeda, who was a prominent figure in the Kingdom of Dál Riata, which encompassed parts of modern-day Scotland and Ireland.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kallum. One of the most famous was Kallum Cille (521–597 AD), also known as St. Columba, the Irish abbot and missionary who established the monastery on Iona and played a crucial role in the spread of Christianity in Scotland.
Another historical figure with the name Kallum was Kallum mac Ailpín (830–904 AD), a king of the Picts and the first monarch to unite the kingdoms of the Picts and the Scots, laying the foundations for the Kingdom of Scotland.
In the 13th century, Kallum mac Somhairle (1210–1247 AD) was a Scottish nobleman and leader of the Clan Donald, one of the most powerful clans in the Western Isles of Scotland during that period.
During the Scottish Wars of Independence, Sir Kallum Mor (1276–1329 AD) was a renowned Scottish knight and military commander who fought alongside William Wallace and Robert the Bruce in their struggle against English rule.
In more recent times, Kallum Macleod (1911–1988) was a Scottish Gaelic poet and educator who played a significant role in preserving and promoting the Gaelic language and culture in Scotland.
These are just a few examples of the historical figures who have borne the name Kallum, reflecting its deep roots in Scottish and Irish culture and its association with the spread of Christianity in the region.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Kallum over time
The chart below shows babies named Kallum 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 Kallum, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 7 births in 2024, compared with 169 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kallum by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Kallum 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 | #3146 | 28 | 4 |
| 2010s | #1097 | 311 | 10 |
| 2000s | #369 | 903 | 10 |
| 1990s | #225 | 548 | 4 |
Geography
Where Kallum is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Kallum. 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.
Kallum ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #418 in 2019.
Across the UK
Kallum in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#701 in 2019
14 years of NRS records, 63 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#418 in 2019
3 years of NISRA records, 9 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Kallum
-
Kallum Cesay
association football player
association football player
2002-
Related
Names similar to Kallum
- 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
Kallum: questions and answers
How popular is the name Kallum in the UK right now?
In 2024, Kallum was ranked #2921 for boys in England and Wales, with 7 births registered.
When was Kallum most popular?
The peak year on record was 1998, with 169 babies registered as Kallum in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Kallum?
A Scottish masculine name derived from the Greek name "Columba", meaning "dove".
How many people are called Kallum in the UK?
A total of 1,790 babies have been registered as Kallum across the 28 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 63 more in Scotland and 9 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Kallum most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Kallum ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #418 in 2019. 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.