Calin
Călin is a Romanian masculine given name and surname of probable Slavic origin meaning guelder rose. It is similar to the Bulgarian masculine given name Kalin and the Bulgarian, Ukrainian and Russian feminine given name Kalyna. But it may be related to the Greek name Kalinikos meaning fair or beautiful victor.
Meaning & Origin of Calin
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Călin is a Romanian masculine given name and surname of probable Slavic origin meaning guelder rose. It is similar to the Bulgarian masculine given name Kalin and the Bulgarian, Ukrainian and Russian feminine given name Kalyna. But it may be related to the Greek name Kalinikos meaning fair or beautiful victor.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Calin
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Calin as a girl name dates back to 1985, when 9 babies received it. 2001 was its biggest year on record, with 14 newborns named Calin — #7,317 in the national rankings. About 38% of every Calin on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. Calin last appeared in the published SSA data in 2014, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 224 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1980s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
Calin first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1960, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2011: 64 births, good for #2,077 nationwide. About 32% of every Calin on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Calin ranks #4,716 for boys with 21 births, gradually falling (-7%). All told, over 1K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1960s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Calin
Phonetically similar names — useful when Calin 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 Calin
What does the name Calin mean?
How popular is Calin in 2026?
When was Calin most popular?
In which U.S. states is Calin most popular?
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About the name Calin
Calin is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1960 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Calin's peak popularity came in 2011 when it ranked #2,077. Use the chart and map above to compare Calin's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2011 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy 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.