Calla: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#1,397

among girls · ↑114 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

156

named Calla · +9% vs 2024

How common

1 in 10,303

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2017

176 babies

All-time total

4,408

#2,795 all-time among girls

First recorded

1880

in Social Security records

Calla popularity over time

4,408 babies have been named Calla since 1880, 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

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	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	79	8	–	#633
1890s	83	8	+5%	#879
1900s	51	5	-39%	#1,107
1910s	97	10	+90%	#1,680
1920s	100	10	+3%	#2,483
1930s	59	6	-41%	#2,661
1940s	52	5	-12%	#3,412
1950s	111	11	+113%	#2,525
1960s	51	5	-54%	#4,809
1970s	66	7	+29%	#3,879
1980s	266	27	+303%	#1,958
1990s	440	44	+65%	#2,274
2000s	770	77	+75%	#1,951
2010s	1,350	135	+75%	#1,322
2020s (to 2025)	833	139	+3%	#1,397

Where Calla is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (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 girls	Implied rank
2026	162	0.10	outside top 500
2027	166	0.10	outside top 500
2028	171	0.11	outside top 500
2029	175	0.11	outside top 500
2030	178	0.11	outside top 500

Where Calla is most popular

Girls named Calla per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.086 per 1,000. Strongest in Colorado, Washington, and Virginia.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Calla born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Girls 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
Colorado	22	0.197	+129%
Washington	22	0.152	+77%
Virginia	23	0.135	+57%
Maryland	13	0.123	+43%
Illinois	28	0.122	+42%
Wisconsin	12	0.117	+35%
Minnesota	12	0.111	+29%
Tennessee	16	0.101	+17%
Massachusetts	11	0.091	+6%
Ohio	21	0.089	≈ national
Kansas	5	0.087	≈ national
Connecticut	5	0.086	≈ national
Florida	32	0.075	-13%
North Carolina	15	0.066	-23%
New York	26	0.066	-24%
Texas	52	0.065	-25%
Georgia	14	0.062	-28%
New Jersey	11	0.061	-29%
Indiana	7	0.050	-42%
California	38	0.045	-47%
Pennsylvania	10	0.042	-51%
Michigan	6	0.033	-62%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
Arizona	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
New Mexico	–	–	–
Nevada	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Oregon	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Carolina	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Utah	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Calla

Calla is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #1,397 in 2025 with 156 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 4,408 American babies have been named Calla. Its peak came in 2017, when 176 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 Calla stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Calla?

The median living Calla is about 14 years old; half are between 7 and 25. An estimated 3,900 people named Calla are alive in the United States today.

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

Calla year by year

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

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	156	#1,397
2024	143	#1,511
2023	130	#1,605
2022	135	#1,578
2021	134	#1,569
2020	135	#1,560
2019	111	#1,833
2018	122	#1,693
2017	176	#1,322
2016	164	#1,412
2015	140	#1,568
2014	140	#1,557
2013	139	#1,558
2012	120	#1,721
2011	104	#1,912
2010	134	#1,614
2009	107	#1,951
2008	96	#2,107
2007	92	#2,164
2006	87	#2,208
2005	81	#2,241
2004	71	#2,401
2003	60	#2,643
2002	50	#2,940
2001	69	#2,306
2000	57	#2,599
1995	44	#2,739
1990	41	#2,807
1985	16	#4,655
1980	7	#8,269
1975	–	–
1970	5	#8,124
1965	7	#5,340
1960	8	#4,809
1955	19	#2,556
1950	12	#3,075
1945	7	#3,709
1940	5	#4,442
1935	8	#3,186
1930	10	#2,871
1925	10	#3,143
1920	14	#2,483
1915	9	#2,929
1910	5	#2,461
1905	10	#1,248
1900	7	#1,591
1895	11	#994
1890	10	#879
1885	8	#795
1880	6	#754

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Calla?

The median living Calla is about 14 years old. Half of all living Callas are between 7 and 25 years old.

How many people named Calla are alive today?

An estimated 3,900 people named Calla are alive in the United States, based on 4,408 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Calla mean?

Calla is a Greek feminine given name and surname given name that is a short Calista Kalla.

How popular is the name Calla in 2025?

Calla ranked #1,397 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 156 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Calla?

4,408 babies have been named Calla in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Calla most popular?

Calla peaked in 2017, when 176 newborns received the name.

Is Calla a boy or girl name?

Calla is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Calla rising or falling?

Calla has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Calla become more popular?

Calla is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 178 girls named Calla in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Calla

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

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