Caulen
An Old English name derived from words meaning "cool" and "bald."
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Caulen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Caulen today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Caulen births was 1999 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Caulen. 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 Caulen. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
1999
6 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2004 SSA rank
#11,642
Tracked since 1999
Popularity
Caulen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Caulen from the 1990s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Caulen 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 Caulen 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 Caulen
The name Caulen is an ancient Celtic name with origins dating back to the 5th century AD. It is believed to have derived from the Old Welsh word "caulen," meaning "lean" or "slender." This name was particularly popular among the ancient Britons and was found predominantly in areas like modern-day Wales, Cornwall, and parts of northern England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Caulen can be found in the Welsh Triads, a collection of traditional tales and historical references from the early Middle Ages. Here, Caulen is mentioned as the name of a renowned warrior who fought alongside the legendary King Arthur against the Saxon invaders.
In the 7th century, a figure named Caulen ap Gwyn is recorded as a prominent chieftain in the kingdom of Gwynedd, which was located in modern-day northwest Wales. His name is mentioned in several ancient Welsh poems and chronicles, solidifying the use of this name among the nobility and ruling classes of the time.
During the 10th century, a monk named Caulen of Llanfair is noted in historical records for his scholarly contributions and his work in preserving ancient Welsh manuscripts and literature. He is believed to have played a crucial role in the preservation of the Welsh language and culture during a turbulent period of Viking raids and invasions.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Caulen ab Owain was a renowned bard and poet who served at the court of the Prince of Gwynedd. His works, which include several odes and elegies, have been preserved and provide insight into the literary traditions of medieval Wales.
Another notable bearer of the name was Caulen ap Rhys, a 13th-century Welsh nobleman and military leader who fought against the English during the conflicts between the Welsh princes and the English monarchy. He is remembered for his bravery and strategic leadership in defending Welsh territories.
While the name Caulen has seen a decline in popularity in modern times, it remains a significant part of Welsh cultural heritage, reflecting the rich history and traditions of the ancient Britons.
People
Caulen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Caulen 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
Caulen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Caulen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Caulen 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 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Caulen a common name?
We classify Caulen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Caulen most popular?
The single biggest year for Caulen was 1999, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Caulen is about 24 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 Caulen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Caulen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Caulen 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 Caulen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Caulen 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 Caulen 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 Caulen?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.