2000
#8,479
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,579
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.33
Rare Last name
Callison
A Scottish occupational surname referring to the son of a caller or crier, derived from "Callum's son."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,680 Americans carry the last name Callison. That puts it at #9,662 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,140 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Callison 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 Callison with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 93,140
Census rank
#9,662
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,209 bearers of the surname Callison in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9662nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Callison, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Callison
The surname CALLISON is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be a locational surname, derived from a place name such as Callison or Callinson. These place names were likely derived from the Old English words "cald" meaning "cold" and "tun" meaning "farm" or "settlement."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname CALLISON can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1170, where a person named Roger de Callistone is mentioned. This suggests that the surname was already in use by that time in that region of England.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various forms, such as Callyson, Callyston, and Calliston, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common during that era. The Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273 mention a John de Caluston, while the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1292 record a William Caliston.
During the 14th century, the surname CALLISON continued to be found in various records across England. The Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379 list a Thomas Callyson, and the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1380 include a John Callyson.
One notable historical figure who bore the surname CALLISON was Robert Callison (1588-1638), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works. Another was William Callison (1670-1738), a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who made contributions to the study of comets and celestial mechanics.
Other individuals of note with the surname CALLISON include:
1. John Callison (1766-1842), an English painter known for his landscapes and portraits.
2. Mary Callison (1823-1897), an American educator and women's rights advocate.
3. Henry Callison (1857-1935), a British architect who designed several notable buildings in London.
4. James Callison (1901-1977), an American baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Red Sox.
5. Elizabeth Callison (1909-1995), an Australian author and journalist known for her novels and short stories.
While the origins of the surname CALLISON can be traced back to medieval England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by individuals and families who have migrated over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Callison
Among Census respondents with the surname Callison, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Hispanic (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Callison 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 Callison surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.9% · 2,756
- Two or more races5.8% · 186
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 163
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 29
- Black or African American0.5% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Callison
Callison 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
#9,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,474
-105 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 886 places
2020
#9,662
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,209
-265 bearers (-7.6%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 297 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,479 | 3,579 | 1.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,365 | 3,474 | 1.18 | -105 bearers (-2.9%) | Down 886 places |
| 2020 | #9,662 | 3,209 | 1.07 | -265 bearers (-7.6%) | Down 297 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 Callison 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 | #9,365 | #9,662 | -3.2% |
| Count | 3,474 | 3,209 | -7.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.18 | 1.07 | -9.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Callison bearers went from 3,474 to 3,209 (-7.6% change). The surname moved down 297 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,365 to #9,662.
FAQ
Callison surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Callison?
Name Census estimates that about 3,680 living Americans carry the surname Callison. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,140 residents.
How common is Callison?
Callison ranks #9,662 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,209 people with the surname Callison. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,680), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Callison.
Has Callison become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Callison went from 3,474 recorded bearers to 3,209. That is a decrease of 265 (-7.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,365 to #9,662.
What does the Census say about the background of Callison?
Among Census respondents with the surname Callison, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Callison in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.9% (2,756 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Callison appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.9%), Two or More Races (5.8%), Hispanic (5.1%). 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 Callison (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 Callison mean?
A Scottish occupational surname referring to the son of a caller or crier, derived from "Callum's son." 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 Callison (1.07 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 Callison?
See how many people have the last name Callison on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.