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

Calvert, 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 Calvert surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Calvert in America

Calvert is the 2043rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Calvert surname appeared 17,619 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Calvert.

We can also compare 2010 data for Calvert 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 Calvert

The surname Calvert has its origin in England, emerging during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "calver," which means "bare" or "bald." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for someone who had little or no hair.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Calvert can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners and their holdings across parts of England after the Norman Conquest. This historical record mentions individuals bearing variations of the name, such as "Calverd" and "Calvart."

In the 13th century, the surname Calvert began to appear more frequently in various records, including tax rolls and court documents. One notable example is Walter Calvert, who was listed as a landowner in Staffordshire in the late 1200s.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Calvert family gained prominence in England, with several members holding influential positions. Sir George Calvert (1579-1632) was a prominent statesman and the first Lord Baltimore, who played a significant role in establishing the colony of Maryland in North America.

Another notable figure was Leonard Calvert (1606-1647), the second Lord Baltimore and the first colonial governor of Maryland. He was instrumental in the establishment and early governance of the colony, which became a haven for Catholics and a model of religious tolerance at the time.

In the 18th century, Benedict Calvert (1679-1732), the fourth Lord Baltimore, was known for his involvement in the development of the colony and his efforts to maintain good relations with the Native American tribes in the region.

Over the centuries, the Calvert surname has been associated with various place names, such as Calvert County in Maryland, which was named after the Calvert family, and the towns of Calvert and Calvert City in Texas and Kentucky, respectively.

Other notable individuals bearing the Calvert surname include John Calvert (1785-1877), an English clergyman and author, and Sir Harry Calvert (1763-1826), a British military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and later became the Governor of Gibraltar.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Calvert

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

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

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

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