Chalmus
A masculine name of possible Ancient Greek roots with no clear meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Chalmus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Chalmus today is around 89 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chalmus births was 1929 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chalmus. 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
- • The typical person named Chalmus is about 89 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Chalmus' were born before 1947.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Chalmus. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1929
10 babies that year
Average age
89
years old
1939 SSA rank
#3,563
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Chalmus: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Chalmus from the 1910s through to the 1930s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 32 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Chalmus remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Chalmus 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 Chalmus 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 Chalmus
Chalmus is a name with origins shrouded in mystery, lost to the annals of time. It is believed to have originated from the ancient Etruscan civilization, which flourished in what is now modern-day Italy. The name is thought to be derived from the Etruscan word "chalma," meaning "shield" or "protector."
The earliest recorded instance of the name Chalmus can be traced back to the 6th century BCE, where it appears in an Etruscan funerary inscription. This suggests that the name held significance within the Etruscan culture, possibly associated with warriors or individuals of noble standing.
In the centuries that followed, the name Chalmus seems to have faded into obscurity, with no notable historical figures bearing this moniker. It was not until the late 15th century that the name resurfaced, appearing in the records of a minor Florentine noble family.
One of the earliest documented individuals named Chalmus was Chalmus di Bernardo, a Florentine merchant born in 1472. He is mentioned in various trade records and correspondence from the period, indicating his involvement in the lucrative Italian silk trade.
Another notable figure was Chalmus Farnese, a 16th-century Italian nobleman and military commander born in 1521. He served under Pope Paul III and played a significant role in the Italian Wars, participating in the Siege of Florence in 1530.
In the 17th century, Chalmus Borghese, a Roman aristocrat born in 1605, gained recognition for his patronage of the arts and his involvement in the embellishment of the Borghese family's lavish gardens and villas.
The name also found its way into the literary world, with Chalmus being the protagonist in a lesser-known 18th-century Italian novel titled "The Adventures of Chalmus," written by the author Girolamo Sacchetti in 1745.
One of the most recent historical figures bearing the name Chalmus was Chalmus Montecuccoli, an Italian military officer born in 1810. He fought in the Italian Wars of Independence and played a crucial role in the unification of Italy under the House of Savoy.
While the name Chalmus may have fallen into relative obscurity in modern times, its rich history and Etruscan origins continue to intrigue scholars and onomasticians alike, serving as a testament to the enduring legacy of ancient civilizations.
People
Chalmus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chalmus 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
Chalmus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chalmus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chalmus 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 Chalmus a common name?
We classify Chalmus 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, 53 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chalmus most popular?
The single biggest year for Chalmus was 1929, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chalmus is about 89 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Chalmus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Chalmus 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.