Meaning
Dove, through Latin Columba.
The exact entry traces the Scottish Gaelic given name to Late Latin Columba, literally dove. This independently supports the licensed dove gloss.
A LITTLE UNCOMMON. ENTIRELY YOURS.
Calum
Meaning, origin and pronunciation, with published usage by place and year.
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Origin
Scottish Gaelic, through Latin Columba.
A precise linguistic route replaces the broader licensed Celtic label. Existing Callum and Colm relationships remain separate, as do all popularity counts.
English pronunciation
Not yet published for this spelling.
Published name usage
Counts apply only to the exact spelling, place, year and recorded usage shown. Places are separate; these figures are never added into a worldwide total. Missing or suppressed records never mean zero.
| Place | Year | Recorded usage | Published births | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 2025 | Boys | 19 · preliminary | 1251 | 2025 figures are preliminary. Quebec counts below five are randomly imputed by the publisher before national aggregation. Accents are removed in the source; this profile was matched only where the catalog spelling was unambiguous. Unpublished values are unknown, not zero. Rank basis: source published. |
| France | 2021 | Boys | 5 (rounded to 5) | 6737 | Counts are rounded to the nearest multiple of five. Ranks use unrounded publisher counts with randomly ordered ties; equally rounded counts can have different ranks. National coverage excludes Mayotte before 2012. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Automated direction labels are withheld for this rounded-count series. Rank basis: source published. |
| England & Wales | 2025 | Boys | 6 | 3256 | Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published. |
| Northern Ireland | 2024 | Boys | 4 | 339 | Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published. |
| Scotland | 2025 | Boys | 23 | 178 | Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: source published. |
| Ireland | 2025 | Boys | 8 | 432 | Names below three occurrences are unpublished. Accent recording changed in 2018; comparisons across that boundary may not describe the same spelling coverage. Counts refer to registrations in the year. Missing years are unavailable, not zero. Rank basis: source published. |
| United States | 2025 | Boys | 313 | 799 | Source-reported counts; unpublished names are not zero. Rank basis: calculated from published counts. |
Canada, Ireland and France coverage includes confidently matched existing profiles only; unmatched spellings are awaiting review. French counts are rounded to five.
Sources & notes
Open an entry for its source, credit, licence and full qualifications. Different name traditions remain separate.
Language of use: English
Checked against cited source
The exact English entry documents given-name use. This does not imply an English linguistic origin.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Language of use: Scottish Gaelic
Checked against cited source
Specific to the Scottish Gaelic personal-name tradition; not an English pronunciation or a universal nickname. Credit: Wiktionary contributors, Calum, revision 93367993. Source: https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Calum&oldid=93367993. License: CC BY-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/. Adaptation: the Scottish Gaelic entry is condensed with its language context retained; no audio or image reproduced.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Meaning: Dove, through Latin Columba.
Checked against cited source
The exact entry traces the Scottish Gaelic given name to Late Latin Columba, literally dove. This independently supports the licensed dove gloss. Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names; CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Name history: Scottish Gaelic name tradition with a Latin Columba connection.
Checked against cited source
The exact entry traces Calum through Scottish Gaelic to Latin Columba, dove. This independently supports the licensed dove interpretation; broad Celtic source labels are retained separately.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Pronunciation in the source language: Scottish Gaelic: /ˈkʰal̪ˠəm/
Checked against cited source
Specific to the Scottish Gaelic personal-name tradition; not an English pronunciation or a universal nickname. Credit: Wiktionary contributors, Calum, revision 93367993. Source: https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Calum&oldid=93367993. License: CC BY-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/. Adaptation: the Scottish Gaelic entry is condensed with its language context retained; no audio or image reproduced.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Nickname: Cal
Checked against cited source
The exact English Cal entry explicitly records a short form of Calum. These are alternative naming traditions, not a single shared literal meaning. Credit: Wiktionary contributors, exact Cal entries. Sources: https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Cal&oldid=92636919. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Adaptation: Rare Baby Names summarized the documented name route or language-specific relationship. No source audio, images or quotations reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Nickname: Caluman
Checked against cited source
Specific to the Scottish Gaelic personal-name tradition; not an English pronunciation or a universal nickname. Credit: Wiktionary contributors, Calum, revision 93367993. Source: https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=Calum&oldid=93367993. License: CC BY-SA 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/. Adaptation: the Scottish Gaelic entry is condensed with its language context retained; no audio or image reproduced.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Origin: Scottish Gaelic, through Latin Columba.
Checked against cited source
A precise linguistic route replaces the broader licensed Celtic label. Existing Callum and Colm relationships remain separate, as do all popularity counts. Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names; CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Related name: Colm
Checked against cited source
Related English forms with a shared linguistic source; not interchangeable spellings or a nickname claim. Popularity counts remain separate.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Related name: Malcolm
Checked against cited source
Listed as a related name in the exact Calum entry; not presented as an interchangeable spelling or nickname. Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted and condensed by Rare Baby Names; CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). No source audio reused.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
Spelling variant: Callum
Checked against cited source
Relationship explicitly recorded in the reviewed given-name section; spellings remain separate in popularity statistics.
Credit: Wiktionary contributors. Adapted by Rare Baby Names: wording shortened and name contexts separated. Recorded pronunciations are shown as published.
This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
CC BY-SA 4.0
country_CA
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country_FR
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country_IE
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Source: NISRA : Website: www.nisra.gov.uk
Attribution: Source: NISRA : Website: www.nisra.gov.uk
License: Open Government Licence v3.0
(C) Crown copyright. Data supplied by National Records of Scotland.
Attribution: (C) Crown copyright. Data supplied by National Records of Scotland.
License: Open Government Licence v3.0
Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence
Attribution: Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence
License: Open Government Licence v3.0
U.S. Social Security Administration
Attribution: U.S. Social Security Administration
Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.
Credit: Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0147-01, 1991–2025, released 23 September 2026.
License: Statistics Canada Open Licence
Adaptation: Adapted from Statistics Canada, First names at birth by sex at birth, selected indicators, Table 17-10-0147-01, reference years 1991–2025. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.
Credit: Central Statistics Office, Ireland, VSA50 and VSA60, updated 27 February 2026.
License: CC BY 4.0
Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: joined the published count and rank indicators and matched unambiguous existing spellings. Source values retained.
Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.
Credit: Source : Insee, Fichier des prénoms, updated 16 July 2026.
License: Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab)
Adaptation: Adapted by Rare Baby Names: column names and sex codes mapped and unique case-only spellings matched to existing profiles. Published rounded counts and ranks retained.