Fun Facts About the Name Cala
- 502 babies named Cala: U.S. records list 502 babies given the name Cala from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Cala Mean?
Cala is a feminine given name used mainly in Spanish-speaking countries. It is usually understood to come from the Spanish word cala, meaning 'cove' or 'small bay.' The same word is used in Catalan and Italian. Cala is not a form of the Greek-derived name Calla, which means 'beauty'; the two names are separate in origin.
Cala Name History & Origins
The Spanish word cala appears in many coastal place names, including Cala d'Or in Mallorca and Cala de Sant Vicent in Ibiza. It is also used as a given name in Spanish-speaking countries. Cala is found as a surname in Spain and Latin America, and the given name may be a transferred use of that surname. A different source is the town of Cala in Huelva, Spain, whose name is sometimes derived from Arabic qal'a, meaning 'fortress.' It is not always clear whether a person named Cala is named for the coastal word, the place name, or the surname.
How Popular is the Name Cala?
Cala has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1990. Its best rank was #3,532 in 1990.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #10,250 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2024 | #11,263 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2023 | #10,459 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2022 | #9,817 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2021 | #10,438 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2020 | #9,687 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2018 | #14,112 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #11,853 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #16,719 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #12,041 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #13,439 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2011 | #7,499 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2010 | #13,727 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #11,633 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2008 | #11,769 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2007 | #12,891 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #15,474 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2005 | #9,569 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2004 | #10,848 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2003 | #14,168 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #9,615 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2001 | #7,378 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2000 | #9,283 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1999 | #5,698 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1998 | #4,986 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1997 | #5,668 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1996 | #7,667 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1995 | #4,874 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1994 | #5,758 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1993 | #5,997 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1992 | #4,257 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1991 | #6,652 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1990 | #3,532 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1989 | #5,076 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1988 | #3,714 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 1987 | #4,494 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1986 | #5,000 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1985 | #6,072 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1984 | #8,268 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #7,398 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1982 | #8,337 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1950 | #5,386 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Cala Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are cheerful and friendly, but are apt to have an emotional life. You like to have several lines of effort going at once. You are a good talker and promoter and seldom worry over anything. At times, you can be impatient, and impulsive. You have the ability to bring an idea to completion. You can express yourself joyously and constructively. You might be psychic, but not know it. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Cala's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Cala's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.