Girl · #1,537 in 2026

Calla

Calla is a Swedish feminine given name and surname given name that is a short form of Carolina and an alternate form of Kalla. Calla is also an English feminine given name, but its derived from the Greek root name Kalós. Calla is an Irish feminine given name that is a diminutive form of Caoileann. Notable people who are known by this name include the following:

Current Rank
#1,537
Peak Rank
#623 (2017)
Total Babies
5K
5-Yr Trend
+1%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
2017
Peak Year
#623
Peak Rank
5K
Total Count
133
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Calla

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Calla is a Swedish feminine given name and surname given name that is a short form of Carolina and an alternate form of Kalla. Calla is also an English feminine given name, but its derived from the Greek root name Kalós. Calla is an Irish feminine given name that is a diminutive form of Caoileann. Notable people who are known by this name include the following:

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Calla

Calla first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2017, when 176 Callas were born — ranking #1,321 that year. As of 2026, Calla ranks #1,537 for baby girls with 139 births, holding steady (+1%). In total, more than 5K Callas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
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WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
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IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
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HI
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Top 10
11-50
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101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Calla

Phonetically similar names — useful when Calla 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 Calla

What does the name Calla mean?
Calla is a Swedish feminine given name and surname given name that is a short form of Carolina and an alternate form of Kalla. Calla is also an English feminine given name, but its derived from the Greek root name Kalós. Calla is an Irish feminine given name that is a diminutive form of Caoileann. Notable people who are known by this name include the following:
How popular is Calla in 2026?
In 2026, Calla ranks #1,537 among girls' names in the U.S., with 139 babies given the name that year.
When was Calla most popular?
Calla reached its peak popularity in 2017, ranking #623 that year with 176 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Calla most popular?
Calla has historically been most popular in Wisconsin, Iowa, Connecticut. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Calla.
Is Calla a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Calla is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Calla?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Calla include Byrdie, Claribel, Jonna. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Byrdie
Peak #623
👧
Claribel
Peak #623
👧
Jonna
Peak #623
👧
Eudora
Peak #624
👧
Annabell
Peak #622
👧
Lisbeth
Peak #624
👧
Marlowe
Peak #622
👧
Marni
Peak #624

About the name Calla

Calla is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 5K births in the dataset. Calla's peak popularity came in 2017 when it ranked #623. Use the chart and map above to compare Calla's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.