Calais
Calais is a French major port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Calais is the largest city in Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city proper is 67,585; that of the urban area is 144,488 (2022). Calais overlooks the Strait of Dover, the narrowest point in the English Channel, which is only 34 km (21 mi) wide here, and is the closest French town to England.
Meaning & Origin of Calais
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Calais is a French major port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Calais is the largest city in Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city proper is 67,585; that of the urban area is 144,488 (2022). Calais overlooks the Strait of Dover, the narrowest point in the English Channel, which is only 34 km (21 mi) wide here, and is the closest French town to England.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Calais
As a girl name
Calais first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1984, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2010, when 13 Calaiss were born — ranking #8,699 that year. As of 2026, Calais ranks #13,427 for girls with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 179 Calaiss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Calais first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 2017, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2019, when 15 Calaiss were born — ranking #5,806 that year. As of 2026, Calais ranks #7,042 for boys with 10 births, gradually falling (-11%). In total, more than 104 Calaiss have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 2010s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Calais
Phonetically similar names — useful when Calais is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Calais
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About the name Calais
Calais is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1984 and has accumulated 179 births in the dataset. Calais's peak popularity came in 2010 when it ranked #8,699. Use the chart and map above to compare Calais's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2010 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.