Caliya
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly from a Sanskrit word meaning "beautiful".
Name Census estimates that about 212 living Americans carry the first name Caliya. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Caliya today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Caliya births was 2019 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Caliya. 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
212
~ 1 in 1,616,766 Americans
Peak year
2019
15 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2024 SSA rank
#12,368
Tracked since 1997
Popularity
Caliya: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Caliya from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 114 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Caliya remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Caliya 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 Caliya 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 Caliya
The name Caliya originates from the Sanskrit language, with roots dating back to ancient India around the 5th century BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "Kalya," which means "beautiful" or "auspicious." The name was primarily used in Hindu culture and tradition.
In Hindu mythology, Caliya is mentioned as a minor deity associated with beauty, grace, and fertility. The earliest recorded reference to the name can be found in the ancient Hindu scriptures, such as the Vedas and the Puranas, where it is used as a descriptive term for goddesses and other divine feminine entities.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the name Caliya was a renowned Sanskrit scholar and poet who lived in the 7th century CE. She is credited with composing several works of poetry and literature, which were highly regarded during her time.
In the 12th century, a princess named Caliya from the Rajput dynasty of Rajasthan, India, was known for her bravery and military skills. She played a significant role in defending her kingdom against invaders and is celebrated in local folklore and historical accounts.
Another notable bearer of the name was Caliya Devi, a prominent female mystic and spiritual leader who lived in the 16th century in Varanasi, India. She was renowned for her profound wisdom and teachings, which attracted followers from across the region.
During the 18th century, a renowned Indian classical dancer named Caliya Sundari gained recognition for her mastery of various dance forms, including Bharatanatyam and Kathak. Her performances were widely celebrated and appreciated by the royal courts and art patrons of the time.
In more recent times, Caliya Bhagwat, born in 1923, was a renowned Indian social activist and advocate for women's rights. She dedicated her life to empowering underprivileged women and fighting against gender-based discrimination, leaving a lasting legacy in the realm of social reform.
People
Caliya + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Caliya 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
Caliya: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Caliya?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 212 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Caliya 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 1,616,766 US residents.
Is Caliya a common name?
We classify Caliya as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 214 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Caliya most popular?
The single biggest year for Caliya was 2019, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Caliya is about 12 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 Caliya in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Caliya a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Caliya 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.
Is Caliya still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Caliya 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 Caliya 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 are called Caliya?
You can see how many people have the name Caliya on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.