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

Callister, 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 Callister surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Callister in America

Callister is the 23957th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Callister surname appeared 1,053 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Callister.

We can also compare 2010 data for Callister 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 Callister

The surname Callister originated in the Scottish Lowlands during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Gaelic term "cailleadair," which means "quarreller" or "fighter." The name likely referred to an ancestor who had a combative or quarrelsome nature.

The earliest known record of the Callister name dates back to the late 13th century, when a John de Calathris was mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls recording those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England during his conquest of Scotland. The spelling "Calathris" suggests a connection to the village of Callander in Perthshire, Scotland.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, including Calythre, Calythir, and Calytre, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling variations of the time. One notable early bearer of the name was Sir William de Calythre, a Scottish knight who fought alongside King Robert the Bruce in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 1300s.

By the 16th century, the spelling had evolved to the more modern form of Callister. In 1510, a John Callister was recorded as a landowner in Ayrshire, Scotland. The name also spread to the Isle of Man, where the Callister family became prominent in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Among the notable Callisters throughout history are:

1. Reverend Robert Callister (1718-1789), a prominent Manx scholar and author who published works on Manx language and culture.
2. James Callister (1786-1849), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament for Maldon.
3. Sir John Callister (1812-1884), an English judge and politician who served as Attorney General for the Isle of Man.
4. Hugh Callister (1879-1955), a Manx composer and organist known for his contributions to Manx traditional music.
5. Thomas Callister (1869-1946), a Canadian politician who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1925 to 1935.

The Callister surname has endured for centuries, with its origins rooted in the rugged landscapes and tumultuous history of medieval Scotland and the Isle of Man. Despite its combative etymology, the name has been borne by many accomplished individuals across various fields throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Callister

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

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

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

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