Find out how popular the last name Calder is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Calder.

Calder, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Calder surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Calder in America

Calder is the 6848th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Calder surname appeared 4,915 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Calder.

We can also compare 2010 data for Calder to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Calder

The surname Calder is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English words "cald" meaning "cold" and "ere" meaning "dweller." It was initially a locational name, referring to someone who lived near a cold stream or a cold area. The name is thought to have originated in the area of Yorkshire, England, in the early medieval period.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Calder can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled as "Caldera" and "Caldere." These entries indicate that individuals bearing the name were present in various parts of Yorkshire at the time of the Norman Conquest.

In the 13th century, the name appeared as "Calder" in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, which were records of financial transactions between landowners and the Crown. This spelling became more standardized over time.

One notable early bearer of the name was John Calder, a merchant and landowner who lived in Yorkshire in the 14th century. He was mentioned in several legal documents related to property disputes and land transactions.

Another historical figure was Sir Robert Calder (1545-1637), a Scottish nobleman who served as a diplomat and ambassador for King James VI of Scotland. He played a significant role in the negotiations that led to the Union of the Crowns in 1603.

In the 18th century, Sir Benjamin Calder (1689-1767) was a prominent British naval officer who served during the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War. He was renowned for his strategic skills and was knighted for his service.

Mary Calder (1788-1858) was a Scottish author and educator who wrote several books on history and geography for children. Her works were widely used in schools throughout the United Kingdom during the 19th century.

Alexander Whyte Calder (1815-1892) was a Scottish-American sculptor and inventor. He is credited with creating the first sculpture made from cast iron and is considered a pioneer in the use of industrial materials in art.

The name Calder has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Calder Bridge, Calder Vale, and Calder Abbey, reflecting the geographical origins of the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Calder

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Calder.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Calder was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Calder has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Calder was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Calder, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!