Caledonia
An ancient Greek name referring to Scotland or Caledonian lands.
Name Census estimates that about 91 living Americans carry the first name Caledonia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Caledonia today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Caledonia births was 2003 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Caledonia. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Caledonia. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
91
~ 1 in 3,766,531 Americans
Peak year
2003
11 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2023 SSA rank
#15,610
Tracked since 1900
Popularity
Caledonia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Caledonia from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 41 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Caledonia by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Caledonia during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Caledonia
The name Caledonia is derived from the Latin word "Caledonia," which was used by the Romans to refer to the northern part of what is now Scotland. The word is thought to have originated from the Gaelic term "Calido," meaning "hard" or "rough," referring to the rugged terrain of the region.
Caledonia was first mentioned in classical writings by the Roman historian and geographer Ptolemy in his work "Geographia," composed around 150 AD. He described Caledonia as a region located north of the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth in Scotland.
The name Caledonia continued to be used throughout the Middle Ages to refer to the northern part of Scotland. In the 16th century, the poet and historian George Buchanan used the term "Caledonia" in his work "Rerum Scoticarum Historia" (History of Scottish Affairs) to describe the entire country of Scotland.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Caledonia was Caledonia Curry, an American actress and singer who lived from 1837 to 1922. She was known for her performances in minstrel shows and vaudeville acts.
Another notable figure with the name Caledonia was Caledonia "Jane" Curry, a Native American woman born around 1825 who played a crucial role in the Modoc War of 1872-1873. She acted as a peacemaker and interpreter during the conflict between the Modoc people and the United States Army.
In the 20th century, Caledonia Kearney (1916-2005) was an American painter and printmaker known for her abstract expressionist works. She studied under the renowned artist Hans Hofmann and had her work exhibited in various galleries and museums throughout her career.
Another notable figure with the name was Caledonia "Callie" Northcott (1871-1940), a Canadian educator and temperance activist. She was a prominent figure in the Women's Christian Temperance Union and campaigned for the prohibition of alcohol in British Columbia.
Caledonia Curry, also known as Caledonia Hoskins (1890-1970), was an American cook and author who wrote several cookbooks on Southern cuisine. Her book "Caledonia's Cookbook" became a popular reference for traditional Southern dishes and recipes.
While the name Caledonia has its roots in ancient Roman and Scottish history, it has been used throughout various cultures and time periods, often associated with individuals who made significant contributions in their respective fields.
People
Caledonia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Caledonia as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Caledonia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Caledonia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 91 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Caledonia going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 3,766,531 US residents.
Is Caledonia a common name?
We classify Caledonia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 63.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 97 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Caledonia most popular?
The single biggest year for Caledonia was 2003, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Caledonia is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Caledonia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Caledonia in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.