Fun Facts About the Name Calloway
- 855 babies named Calloway: U.S. records list 855 babies given the name Calloway from 1880 through 2025. Even 138 girls received the name Calloway - about 1 girl for every 5 boys.
What Does the Name Calloway Mean?
Calloway is an English surname that has also come into use as a given name. It belongs to the large group of surnames taken from a place name, but no single origin site has been identified with confidence, so the precise meaning is uncertain. The closely related spelling Callaway is usually treated as the same family of names, and the two forms appear interchangeably in old records.
Where a derivation is offered, it usually points to Old English elements. The first is often taken to be calu, meaning "bare" or "bald," the same word behind English place names that describe a bare hill or a bald spur of land. The second element is less settled: suggestions include a word for a hill or ridge, or a word for a road or way, which would give a sense along the lines of "bare hill" or "bare way." Because the original settlement has not been firmly located, these components are informed possibilities rather than confirmed facts, and the name should be described as of uncertain meaning.
Calloway Name History & Origins
The surname is recorded in England under several spellings, including Callaway, Calloway, and Callway, with the name appearing in the southwestern counties in particular. Surnames of this type became fixed in England in the later Middle Ages, when families were increasingly identified by the village or estate they came from, and a name like Calloway would originally have marked a person as coming from a place of that name.
The name crossed the Atlantic with English emigration to North America, where it took root in the colonial period, and Calloway became the more common spelling among many American families. Its best-known bearer is Cab Calloway (1907 - 1994), the American jazz singer and bandleader, whose fame gave the surname wide recognition well before it began to appear occasionally as a first name.
Use of Calloway as a given name is a modern development rather than an old tradition. It follows the broader American practice of drawing first names from surnames, especially ones with a strong consonant sound and a family or regional association.
How Popular is the Name Calloway?
Calloway 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 2025. Its best rank was #1,467 in 2025.
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 | #5,439 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 2024 | #5,637 | 22 | 0.0014% |
| 2023 | #7,316 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2022 | #6,262 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 2021 | #12,449 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #10,419 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #10,630 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2018 | #12,738 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2017 | #10,855 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #14,676 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #13,334 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2012 | #17,377 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,467 | 121 | 0.0071% |
| 2024 | #1,849 | 87 | 0.0051% |
| 2023 | #2,101 | 70 | 0.0041% |
| 2022 | #2,327 | 61 | 0.0035% |
| 2021 | #2,698 | 47 | 0.0027% |
| 2020 | #3,031 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 2019 | #3,271 | 35 | 0.0020% |
| 2018 | #3,382 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 2017 | #3,320 | 34 | 0.0018% |
| 2016 | #4,643 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2015 | #4,911 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2014 | #4,721 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 2013 | #8,218 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2012 | #11,006 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #9,774 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #8,248 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2009 | #12,765 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #12,818 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2007 | #12,646 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2005 | #8,405 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2001 | #7,627 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #8,276 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #7,245 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1936 | #3,615 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1935 | #3,721 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1934 | #3,739 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1932 | #3,419 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1922 | #3,578 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1921 | #4,426 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1920 | #3,254 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1916 | #2,573 | 10 | 0.0011% |
| 1912 | #2,599 | 5 | 0.0012% |
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 Calloway 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 always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Calloway's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Calloway's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.