Caliph
A leader of a Muslim caliphate or Islamic community.
Name Census estimates that about 195 living Americans carry the first name Caliph. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Caliph today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Caliph births was 1974 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Caliph. 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.
People living today
195
~ 1 in 1,757,715 Americans
Peak year
1974
13 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
2019 SSA rank
#11,001
Tracked since 1972
Popularity
Caliph: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Caliph from the 1970s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 54 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Caliph remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Caliph 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 Caliph during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Caliphs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Caliph
The name Caliph is derived from the Arabic word "khalifa," which means "successor" or "deputy." It has its origins in the early days of Islam, when the caliph was the supreme civil and religious ruler of the Muslim community after the death of the Prophet Muhammad.
The first caliph was Abu Bakr, who succeeded Muhammad in 632 CE. He was followed by Umar ibn al-Khattab, Uthman ibn Affan, and Ali ibn Abi Talib, collectively known as the "Rightly Guided Caliphs." These early caliphs played a crucial role in the expansion of Islam and the establishment of the Islamic empire.
The name Caliph is mentioned in various Islamic texts, including the Quran and Hadith (sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad). It is a title of great significance in Islamic history, representing the highest authority and leadership within the Muslim community.
One of the most famous caliphs in history was Harun al-Rashid, who ruled the Abbasid Caliphate from 786 to 809 CE. He is renowned for his patronage of arts, literature, and science, and is often depicted in stories such as "The Arabian Nights." Another notable caliph was Al-Mamun, who reigned from 813 to 833 CE and is credited with establishing the Bayt al-Hikma (House of Wisdom), a renowned center of learning and knowledge.
In the early modern era, the Ottoman Empire adopted the title of caliph, claiming to be the rightful successors of the Islamic caliphate. The last Ottoman caliph was Abdulmejid II, who reigned from 1922 to 1924 before the caliphate was abolished by the newly formed Republic of Turkey.
Beyond the Islamic world, the name Caliph has been used by various individuals throughout history, such as Caliph Haywood, an American blues singer and musician who was active in the 1920s and 1930s. Another notable figure was Caliph Washington, an African American actor and comedian who appeared in films and television shows in the mid-20th century.
People
Caliph + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Caliph 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
Caliph: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Caliph?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 195 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Caliph 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 1,757,715 US residents.
Is Caliph a common name?
We classify Caliph as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 202 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Caliph most popular?
The single biggest year for Caliph was 1974, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Caliph is about 32 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Caliph a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Caliph 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.
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.