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

Callen, 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 Callen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Callen in America

Callen is the 10095th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Callen surname appeared 3,190 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Callen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Callen 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 Callen

The surname Callen is believed to have originated in Ireland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "callan," which means "young lad" or "strapping young man." The name was likely initially used as a nickname or descriptive term for a young, strong individual.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Callen can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a medieval chronicle compiled in the 15th century. It mentions a person named "Callan O'Doherty" in an entry dated 1235. This suggests that the name was already in use as a surname or personal name in Ireland during that time period.

In the 16th century, the surname Callen appeared in various Irish records, including the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns, which were official documents related to land grants and other legal matters. One notable individual was Edmond Callen, who was granted lands in County Donegal in 1596.

As the name spread throughout Ireland, it evolved into different spellings, such as Callan, Callum, and Callon. Some variations were influenced by regional dialects and the anglicization of Irish names.

One of the earliest known individuals with the Callen surname was Patrick Callen, a Irish Catholic priest born in County Armagh in 1677. He was a prominent figure in the Irish Catholic community during a time of religious persecution.

Another notable person was Michael Joseph Callen (1955-1986), an American singer-songwriter and AIDS activist. He was one of the first public figures to disclose his HIV-positive status and helped raise awareness about the AIDS epidemic.

In the United States, the name Callen gained recognition through actor Christopher Callen, born in 1939, who appeared in numerous films and television shows throughout his career.

John Callen (1788-1864) was a British naval officer and explorer who served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. He was later involved in surveying the Australian coastline and is credited with naming several geographical features in Western Australia.

Finally, Zoe Callen (born 1953) is an Australian author and journalist who has written several novels and non-fiction works, including books on parenting and relationships.

While the surname Callen has Irish origins, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with individuals bearing this name contributing to various fields and leaving their mark in history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Callen

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

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

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

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