Kallum
A Scottish masculine name derived from the Greek name "Columba", meaning "dove".
Name Census estimates that about 577 living Americans carry the first name Kallum. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kallum today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kallum births was 2024 (90 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kallum. 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 Kallum with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
577
~ 1 in 594,028 Americans
Peak year
2024
90 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,808
Tracked since 2007
Popularity
Kallum: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kallum from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 361 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
Kallum 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 Kallum during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Kallums live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. Texas, Indiana, California recorded the most babies named Kallum, while Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Missouri recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 12 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kallum
The given name Kallum is believed to have originated from the Scottish Gaelic name Calum, which is a variation of the Latin name Columba, meaning "dove." Its roots can be traced back to the 6th century AD, when St. Columba, an Irish monk and missionary, brought Christianity to Scotland and established a monastery on the island of Iona.
The name Kallum gained popularity in Scotland and Ireland during the Middle Ages, as it was associated with the venerated figure of St. Columba. It was often bestowed upon children as a way to honor the saint and invoke his blessings.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Kallum can be found in the Annals of Ulster, an ancient chronicle that dates back to the 15th century. The Annals mention a Kallum mac Áeda, who was a prominent figure in the Kingdom of Dál Riata, which encompassed parts of modern-day Scotland and Ireland.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kallum. One of the most famous was Kallum Cille (521–597 AD), also known as St. Columba, the Irish abbot and missionary who established the monastery on Iona and played a crucial role in the spread of Christianity in Scotland.
Another historical figure with the name Kallum was Kallum mac Ailpín (830–904 AD), a king of the Picts and the first monarch to unite the kingdoms of the Picts and the Scots, laying the foundations for the Kingdom of Scotland.
In the 13th century, Kallum mac Somhairle (1210–1247 AD) was a Scottish nobleman and leader of the Clan Donald, one of the most powerful clans in the Western Isles of Scotland during that period.
During the Scottish Wars of Independence, Sir Kallum Mor (1276–1329 AD) was a renowned Scottish knight and military commander who fought alongside William Wallace and Robert the Bruce in their struggle against English rule.
In more recent times, Kallum Macleod (1911–1988) was a Scottish Gaelic poet and educator who played a significant role in preserving and promoting the Gaelic language and culture in Scotland.
These are just a few examples of the historical figures who have borne the name Kallum, reflecting its deep roots in Scottish and Irish culture and its association with the spread of Christianity in the region.
People
Kallum + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kallum as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kallum: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kallum?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 577 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kallum 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 594,028 US residents.
Is Kallum a common name?
We classify Kallum as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 581 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kallum most popular?
The single biggest year for Kallum was 2024, when 90 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kallum 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 Kallum in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kallum a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kallum 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 Kallum still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kallum 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 Kallum 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 Kallum?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.