Fun Facts About the Name Kalliope
- More than 1 thousand babies named Kalliope: U.S. records list 1,323 babies given the name Kalliope from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Kalliope Mean?
Kalliope is the Greek form of the name that appears in English as Calliope. It is built from the Greek combining form kalli-, from kallos ("beauty"), and ops ("voice"), which gives the literal sense "beautiful-voiced" or "of the beautiful voice." That is the meaning usually given for the name in English.
One detail is not fully settled. The second element is sometimes connected not with ops ("voice") but with the similar Greek word opsis ("face, appearance"), which would yield a sense closer to "beautiful-faced." Because the two words are close in form, the original sense cannot be fixed with certainty, though "beautiful-voiced" is the customary reading.
Kalliope Name History & Origins
Kalliope is one of the nine Muses of Greek myth and religion, the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. She was associated above all with epic poetry and eloquence, and in Hesiod's Theogony she is named as the most eminent of the Muses. Traditional accounts make her the mother of the Thracian singer Orpheus, usually by Apollo or by King Oeagrus, and also of Linus. In ancient art she was shown holding a writing tablet and stylus or a scroll.
The name belonged to the Greek-speaking world and passed into Latin as Calliope. The Greek form Καλλιόπη has continued in use in Greek, while the Latin-derived Calliope is the form most often met in English. A 19th-century American invention, the steam-powered musical instrument called the calliope, was named after the Muse.
How Popular is the Name Kalliope?
Kalliope 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 #1,787 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 | #1,787 | 113 | 0.0070% |
| 2024 | #2,311 | 80 | 0.0050% |
| 2023 | #1,970 | 100 | 0.0062% |
| 2022 | #2,013 | 97 | 0.0059% |
| 2021 | #1,903 | 104 | 0.0063% |
| 2020 | #2,162 | 84 | 0.0052% |
| 2019 | #2,147 | 87 | 0.0052% |
| 2018 | #2,490 | 71 | 0.0042% |
| 2017 | #2,390 | 76 | 0.0044% |
| 2016 | #2,782 | 62 | 0.0035% |
| 2015 | #2,728 | 65 | 0.0036% |
| 2014 | #3,458 | 46 | 0.0026% |
| 2013 | #4,820 | 29 | 0.0017% |
| 2012 | #4,174 | 36 | 0.0020% |
| 2011 | #4,031 | 37 | 0.0021% |
| 2010 | #6,500 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2009 | #8,654 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2008 | #9,229 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2007 | #9,267 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2006 | #11,905 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2005 | #12,387 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #8,012 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2003 | #10,013 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #14,463 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2001 | #12,704 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #14,002 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #11,970 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #13,209 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #8,025 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1995 | #11,062 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1993 | #10,016 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #12,700 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #11,241 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #9,608 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #8,592 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1972 | #8,833 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1971 | #6,272 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1970 | #7,466 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1968 | #7,508 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1967 | #7,252 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1958 | #5,129 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1929 | #4,324 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1928 | #4,452 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1922 | #4,229 | 7 | 0.0006% |
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 Kalliope Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Kalliope's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Kalliope's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.