Fun Facts About the Name Calum
- More than 3 thousand babies named Calum: U.S. records list 3,501 babies given the name Calum from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Calum Mean?
Calum is a Scottish Gaelic masculine name meaning "dove." It comes from Old Irish Columb, a borrowing of Latin columba, "dove." The name is closely associated with Saint Columba, the sixth-century Irish abbot whose Irish name was Colum Cille and whose Scottish Gaelic name is Calum Cille. The literal meaning is the bird; the saint's association is a later religious layer, not a separate etymology. Calum is not a short form of Malcolm, though Malcolm contains the related Gaelic element Coluim, the genitive of Colum, so both names are connected with Columba. The Irish forms of the name include Colm and Colum.
Calum Name History & Origins
The name developed in the Gaelic-speaking world of Ireland and Scotland. Its root is the early Irish personal name Colum, a borrowing of Latin Columba and the name of the saint who founded the monastery of Iona in 563. In Irish tradition the saint is Colum Cille, "Colum of the church"; in Scottish Gaelic he is Calum Cille, and Calum was used as a given name in the Scottish Highlands and Islands. The Anglicized spelling Callum is a later form of Calum and is now used throughout the English-speaking world. The name's spread is mainly religious and linguistic: it grew through devotion to Saint Columba and through Scottish Gaelic naming customs, not through a single literary work.
How Popular is the Name Calum?
Calum recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2025. Its best rank was #799 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 | #799 | 313 | 0.0183% |
| 2024 | #906 | 257 | 0.0150% |
| 2023 | #889 | 261 | 0.0153% |
| 2022 | #817 | 303 | 0.0174% |
| 2021 | #840 | 282 | 0.0161% |
| 2020 | #929 | 240 | 0.0139% |
| 2019 | #919 | 238 | 0.0133% |
| 2018 | #1,018 | 202 | 0.0111% |
| 2017 | #1,294 | 140 | 0.0076% |
| 2016 | #1,696 | 92 | 0.0048% |
| 2015 | #1,913 | 76 | 0.0040% |
| 2014 | #2,466 | 51 | 0.0027% |
| 2013 | #2,464 | 50 | 0.0026% |
| 2012 | #2,523 | 49 | 0.0026% |
| 2011 | #1,990 | 69 | 0.0036% |
| 2010 | #2,289 | 56 | 0.0029% |
| 2009 | #2,123 | 64 | 0.0032% |
| 2008 | #2,145 | 63 | 0.0031% |
| 2007 | #2,119 | 64 | 0.0031% |
| 2006 | #2,702 | 43 | 0.0021% |
| 2005 | #2,332 | 50 | 0.0025% |
| 2004 | #2,647 | 40 | 0.0020% |
| 2003 | #2,397 | 44 | 0.0022% |
| 2002 | #2,342 | 44 | 0.0023% |
| 2001 | #2,121 | 49 | 0.0025% |
| 2000 | #2,629 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 1999 | #2,731 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 1998 | #1,991 | 48 | 0.0025% |
| 1997 | #2,029 | 44 | 0.0023% |
| 1996 | #2,020 | 43 | 0.0023% |
| 1995 | #2,694 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1994 | #2,449 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 1993 | #3,384 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1992 | #3,941 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1991 | #4,263 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1990 | #3,485 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1989 | #5,219 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #6,535 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #5,560 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1985 | #6,664 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1981 | #5,593 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #5,916 | 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 Calum 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 seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Calum's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Calum's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.