Calek
A masculine name of Polish origin meaning "whole" or "intact".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Calek. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Calek today is around 18 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Calek births was 2008 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Calek. 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 Calek. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
2008
6 babies that year
Average age
18
years old
2008 SSA rank
#11,268
Tracked since 2008
Popularity
Calek: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Calek 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 Calek during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Calek
The name Calek is an ancient name with its roots tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European language family. It is believed to have originated from the word "kalok," which means "strong" or "brave." This name was prevalent among the Indo-European tribes that inhabited the region now known as central and eastern Europe.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Calek can be found in the ancient Sanskrit texts, the Vedas, which date back to around 1500-500 BCE. In these texts, Calek is mentioned as the name of a warrior who fought bravely in battles against invading tribes.
During the Middle Ages, the name Calek was popular among the Slavic peoples, particularly in regions such as Poland, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. It was often given to boys born during times of conflict or war, as a way to bestow upon them the qualities of strength and courage.
One notable figure in history with the name Calek was Calek of Prague, a 14th-century Czech nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the Hussite Wars. He was born in 1380 and died in 1437.
Another prominent individual with this name was Calek Janicki, a Polish poet and writer who lived in the 16th century (1516-1582). His works were highly influential in shaping the literary landscape of the Polish Renaissance.
In the late 17th century, there was a famous Russian explorer named Calek Shestakov (1670-1737), who led several expeditions to the far eastern regions of Siberia and contributed to the mapping of the Russian Empire's vast territories.
Calek Pereświat-Sołtan was a Polish-Lithuanian military commander who fought against the Teutonic Knights in the 15th century (1395-1460). He is renowned for his bravery and leadership during the Battle of Grunwald in 1410.
Another noteworthy figure was Calek Miłobędzki, a Polish nobleman and military leader who played a crucial role in the Polish-Swedish War of the late 17th century (1640-1701).
While the name Calek fell out of widespread use in more recent centuries, it remains a part of the cultural heritage and historical legacy of various Slavic and Indo-European cultures, serving as a reminder of the values of strength, courage, and resilience.
People
Calek + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Calek 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
Calek: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Calek?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Calek 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Calek a common name?
We classify Calek as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Calek most popular?
The single biggest year for Calek was 2008, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Calek is about 18 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Calek in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Calek a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Calek in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Calek still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Calek in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Calek can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Calek as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.