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

Call, 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 Call surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Call in America

Call is the 2376th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Call surname appeared 15,324 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Call.

We can also compare 2010 data for Call 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 Call

The surname CALL is of English origin, originating from an occupational name for a person who was a crier or messenger in the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "calian," meaning "to call out" or "to summon."

The name CALL can be traced back to the early 13th century, with records showing individuals bearing this surname in various parts of England. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1208, where a certain Roger le Calle is mentioned.

In the medieval era, town criers or messengers were important figures responsible for making public announcements and conveying information to the local populace. The surname CALL likely originated as a descriptive name for individuals employed in this role, reflecting their occupation of "calling out" or summoning people.

The name CALL is also associated with several place names in England, such as Call Green in Yorkshire and Call End in Bedfordshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling variations of the surname or vice versa, as surnames often derived from the locations where families resided.

Historically, the surname CALL has been recorded with various spellings, including Calle, Cale, Cayle, and Kale, reflecting the regional dialects and phonetic variations of the time. One notable historical figure bearing this surname was John Call, a 17th-century English clergyman and author, born in 1598 and died in 1663.

Another significant person with the surname CALL was Sir John Call, a prominent English jurist and legal writer who lived from 1604 to 1670. He served as a judge and published several influential works on English law.

In the literary world, Henry Call, an English poet and playwright, was born in 1615 and is known for his contributions to the 17th-century English Renaissance theater.

Moving to the 19th century, Wilkinson Call, an American politician and lawyer, served as the 13th Governor of Florida from 1835 to 1839. He played a crucial role in the early development of the state.

Additionally, John Kittrell Call, an American military officer and politician, fought in the War of 1812 and later served as a territorial governor of Florida from 1836 to 1839.

While the surname CALL has its roots in England and the medieval period, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and has been adopted by individuals from various cultural backgrounds.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Call

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

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 Call 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 Call 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 Call was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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