Caylus
An Old Scottish masculine name possibly related to "Caley", derived from the name of a town.
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Caylus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Caylus today is around 4 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Caylus births was 2023 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Caylus. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Caylus with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Caylus. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
2023
7 babies that year
Average age
4
years old
2023 SSA rank
#9,917
Tracked since 2021
Popularity
Caylus: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Caylus 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 Caylus 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 | 13 | 0 | 13 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Caylus
The given name Caylus is believed to have originated from the region of Occitania in southern France during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Occitan language term "cailhus," which referred to a small pebble or stone. This connection likely stems from the name's usage as a locational surname, potentially referring to someone residing near a stony area or a place with a similar name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Caylus can be found in the historical records of the Caylus family, a prominent noble lineage from the Rouergue region of Occitania. The Caylus family played a significant role in the region's history, with members holding influential positions and titles.
In the 15th century, Anne de Caylus, a member of this noble family, was noted for her involvement in the Hundred Years' War between France and England. She actively supported the French cause and is documented as having participated in the defense of the town of Rouergue against English forces.
Another notable figure bearing the name Caylus was Count Anne Claude Philippe de Tubieres, Count of Caylus, born in 1692. He was a prominent French antiquarian, art historian, and archaeologist known for his contributions to the study of ancient Greek and Roman art and artifacts. His extensive collection of antiquities and his writings on art history were highly influential in his time.
In the literary realm, the name Caylus is associated with Marthe-Marguerite Le Valois de Villette de Murçay, Madame de Caylus, who was born in 1673. She was a French memoirist and courtier known for her wit and her close friendship with Madame de Maintenon, the second wife of King Louis XIV.
Moving to the 19th century, Count Gabriel Jean Baptiste Louis Théodore de Caylus, born in 1811, was a French politician and diplomat. He served as a member of the National Assembly and held various diplomatic positions, including that of the French ambassador to Russia during the reign of Napoleon III.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the name Caylus throughout history, highlighting its presence in various contexts, from nobility and warfare to the arts, literature, and politics.
People
Caylus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Caylus 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
Caylus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Caylus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Caylus 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 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Caylus a common name?
We classify Caylus as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 13 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Caylus most popular?
The single biggest year for Caylus was 2023, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Caylus is about 4 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 Caylus in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Caylus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Caylus 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 Caylus still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Caylus 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 Caylus 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 Americans are named Caylus?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Caylus at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.