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

Callis, 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 Callis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Callis in America

Callis is the 8496th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Callis surname appeared 3,877 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 Callis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Callis 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 Callis

The surname Callis originated in England during the late medieval period, deriving from the Old English word "cald" meaning cold or chilly. It likely referred to someone who lived in a cold or exposed area, or may have been a nickname for someone with a cold or reserved demeanor.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a Robert Calcle is mentioned in Berkshire. Variations in spelling such as Calkcle, Caulkle, and Caulkwell were common in these early records due to inconsistencies in scribal practices and regional dialects.

The Callis surname is also found in medieval records from the counties of Devon, Somerset, and Gloucestershire, suggesting it originated in the West Country region of England. Some genealogists have proposed a connection to the village of Callice in Somerset, though this has not been definitively established.

Notable individuals bearing the Callis surname include John Callis (c.1655-1725), an English lawyer and author of the influential legal treatise "Reading upon the Statute of Sewers." Another early bearer of the name was Thomas Callis (c.1600-1679), a member of the English Parliament during the Commonwealth period.

In the 17th century, the Callis family established itself in Virginia, with William Callis (c.1622-1686) becoming a prominent landowner and member of the House of Burgesses. His descendants played significant roles in the colonial and revolutionary eras of American history.

Other notable individuals with the Callis surname include Robert Callis (1648-1719), an English Catholic priest and writer; and John Callis (1766-1823), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.

Throughout its history, the Callis name has been associated with various professions and backgrounds, from legal scholars and politicians to military figures and landowners, reflecting the diverse origins and paths of those who bore this distinctive English surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Callis

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

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

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

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