Fun Facts About the Name Caliope
- 144 babies named Caliope: U.S. records list 144 babies given the name Caliope from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Caliope Mean?
Caliope is a variant spelling of Calliope, a name from ancient Greek. It derives from the Greek Καλλιόπη (Kalliope), formed from καλός (kalos, "beautiful") and ὄψ (ops). The second element is the source of some uncertainty: ὄψ can mean either "voice" or "face," so the name is commonly explained as "beautiful-voiced" or "fair-voiced," while a competing explanation gives "beautiful-faced." The usual English understanding is "beautiful voice." The single-l spelling Caliope carries the same meaning and origin as Calliope; it is not a separate name with its own etymology.
Caliope Name History & Origins
In Greek mythology, Calliope was the eldest of the nine Muses and the patron of epic poetry; in some accounts she also presided over eloquence. Hesiod's Theogony presents her as the foremost of the Muses, and later tradition makes her the mother of the musician Orpheus and of Linus. She also appears in the myth in which she judges the dispute between Aphrodite and Persephone over Adonis. In Greek and Roman art she is shown with a writing tablet or a scroll.
The name passed into Latin as Calliope and from there into modern European languages, where it is used in forms such as Italian and Spanish Calliope and modern Greek Καλλιόπη. The spelling Caliope, with one "l," is a simplified variant that appears in English-language use; it has no separate history of its own and remains much less common than Calliope. The word calliope was also applied in the 19th century to the steam organ, which took its name from the Muse, and it appears in the common name of the calliope hummingbird.
How Popular is the Name Caliope?
Caliope 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 2023. Its best rank was #2,798 in 1922.
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 | #7,563 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 2024 | #12,366 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #7,315 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2022 | #8,119 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2021 | #13,800 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #10,418 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #10,629 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2018 | #14,116 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #16,333 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2015 | #14,844 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2013 | #13,441 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2012 | #15,325 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #10,543 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2010 | #13,729 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #13,857 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1922 | #2,798 | 12 | 0.0010% |
| 1919 | #4,929 | 5 | 0.0004% |
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 Caliope 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.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Caliope's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Caliope's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.