2000
#6,661
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,676
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.73
Rare Last name
Calder
A Scottish topographic surname referring to someone who lived by a stony or rocky stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,503 Americans carry the last name Calder. That puts it at #6,753 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,285 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Calder surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Calder with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.5K
1 in 62,285
Census rank
#6,753
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,799 bearers of the surname Calder in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6753rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Calder, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.8%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Calder
Among Census respondents with the surname Calder, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.8%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Calder bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Calder surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.6% · 3,962
- Black or African American6.8% · 326
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 235
- Two or more races4.1% · 198
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 45
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Calder
Calder appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#6,848
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,915
+239 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.67
Rank movement Down 187 places
2020
#6,753
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,799
-116 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 1.61
Rank movement Up 95 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,661 | 4,676 | 1.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,848 | 4,915 | 1.67 | +239 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 187 places |
| 2020 | #6,753 | 4,799 | 1.61 | -116 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 95 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Calder surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,848 | #6,753 | 1.4% |
| Count | 4,915 | 4,799 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.67 | 1.61 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Calder bearers went from 4,915 to 4,799 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 95 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,848 to #6,753.
FAQ
Calder surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Calder?
Name Census estimates that about 5,503 living Americans carry the surname Calder. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,285 residents.
How common is Calder?
Calder ranks #6,753 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,799 people with the surname Calder. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,503), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Calder.
Has Calder become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Calder went from 4,915 recorded bearers to 4,799. That is a decrease of 116 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,848 to #6,753.
What does the Census say about the background of Calder?
Among Census respondents with the surname Calder, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.8%) and Hispanic (4.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Calder in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.6% (3,962 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Calder appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.6%), Black (6.8%), Hispanic (4.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Calder (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Calder mean?
A Scottish topographic surname referring to someone who lived by a stony or rocky stream. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Calder (1.61 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Calder?
You can see how many people have the last name Calder on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.