Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2011

Calen

Meaning Spelling variant of Callen Gender Unisex · 8% girls Rank 2025 #3,323 Trend → Stable

Spelling variant of Callen.

Rank 2025
#3,323
among boys · ↓566 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
35
named Calen · -26% vs 2024
How common
1 in 48,802
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2011
108 babies
All-time total
2,720
#2,872 all-time among boys
First recorded
1977
in Social Security records

Calen popularity over time

2,720 babies have been named Calen since 1977, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – – – – – –
1970s – 29 29 3 – #3,224
1980s 25 372 397 40 +1269% #1,177
1990s 90 455 545 55 +37% #1,625
2000s 101 650 751 75 +38% #1,682
2010s 5 716 721 72 -4% #1,534
2020s (to 2025) 5 272 277 46 -36% #2,584

Where Calen is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 34 0.02 outside top 500
2027 33 0.02 outside top 500
2028 33 0.02 outside top 500
2029 32 0.02 outside top 500
2030 32 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Calen

Calen is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,323 in 2025 with 35 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1977, 2,720 American babies have been named Calen, about 92% boys and 8% girls, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2011, when 108 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Calen stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Calen?

The median living Calen is about 20 years old; half are between 12 and 30. An estimated 2,700 people named Calen are alive in the United States today.

median 20 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Calen year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 35 #3,323
2024 – – 47 #2,757
2023 – – 51 #2,584
2022 5 #15,745 52 #2,593
2021 – – 43 #2,869
2020 – – 44 #2,767
2019 – – 50 #2,590
2018 – – 58 #2,304
2017 – – 42 #2,847
2016 – – 66 #2,116
2015 – – 61 #2,214
2014 – – 69 #2,046
2013 – – 79 #1,814
2012 – – 92 #1,670
2011 5 #17,258 103 #1,534
2010 – – 96 #1,628
2009 8 #12,653 68 #2,035
2008 11 #10,207 74 #1,935
2007 8 #12,893 90 #1,682
2006 5 #17,604 77 #1,793
2005 12 #9,002 57 #2,132
2004 9 #10,849 58 #2,053
2003 11 #9,159 48 #2,241
2002 11 #8,954 58 #1,920
2001 14 #7,381 60 #1,843
2000 12 #8,118 60 #1,800
1995 8 #9,705 56 #1,625
1990 8 #9,374 34 #2,131
1985 7 #8,454 55 #1,292
1980 – – 12 #3,445
1975 – – – –
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Calen, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Calen?

The median living Calen is about 20 years old. Half of all living Calens are between 12 and 30 years old.

How many people named Calen are alive today?

An estimated 2,700 people named Calen are alive in the United States, based on 2,720 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Calen mean?

Spelling variant of Callen.

How popular is the name Calen in 2025?

Calen ranked #3,323 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 35 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Calen?

2,720 babies have been named Calen in the United States since 1977, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Calen most popular?

Calen peaked in 2011, when 108 newborns received the name.

Is Calen a boy or girl name?

Calen is used for both: about 8% of babies named Calen have been girls and 92% boys.

Is the name Calen rising or falling?

Calen is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Calen become more popular?

Calen is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 32 boys named Calen in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Calen

Names that sound and feel close to Calen: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Calen with similar names → More names starting with C →