Calister
A masculine name derived from Greek elements meaning "most beautiful".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Calister. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Calister today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Calister births was 2020 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Calister. 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 Calister. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2020
5 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2020 SSA rank
#12,342
Tracked since 2020
Popularity
Calister: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Calister 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 Calister during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Calister
The name Calister is believed to have originated from the Greek language. It is derived from the word "kalos," meaning "beautiful," and "istēmi," meaning "to stand." The combination of these two words suggests that the name Calister conveys the meaning of "standing beautifully" or "beauty that stands out."
Historically, the name Calister has been associated with the Greek mythology and culture. It is thought to have been in use as early as the 5th century BC, during the classical period of ancient Greece. Some scholars believe that the name may have been inspired by the Greek goddess Calliope, the muse of epic poetry, who was often depicted as a beautiful and graceful figure.
The earliest recorded use of the name Calister can be traced back to ancient Greek texts and inscriptions. One notable example is a reference found in the works of the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, who mentioned a man named Calister in his writings from around 440 BC.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Calister. One of the earliest recorded was Calister of Samos, a Greek philosopher who lived in the 5th century BC and was a student of Pythagoras. Another notable figure was Calister of Rhodes, a Greek sculptor from the 3rd century BC, known for his intricate marble statues.
In the 1st century AD, there was a Roman senator named Calister Atticus, who was renowned for his oratory skills and patronage of the arts. During the Byzantine era, Calister Hagiopolites was a prominent Greek scholar and theologian who lived in the 10th century AD.
Moving forward in time, Calister Douglass was a Scottish philosopher and mathematician who lived in the 17th century AD (1610-1685). He made significant contributions to the field of optics and is known for his work on the refraction of light.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the name Calister throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence across various cultures and time periods.
People
Calister + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Calister 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
Calister: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Calister?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Calister 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Calister a common name?
We classify Calister as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Calister most popular?
The single biggest year for Calister was 2020, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Calister is about 6 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 Calister in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Calister a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Calister 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 Calister still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Calister 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 Calister 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 common is the name Calister?
You can see how many people share the name Calister on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.