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Home › Baby Names Directory › Caillou

Caillou

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Caillou

Pronounced ky-YOO /kaɪˈju/Medium

Meaning: Caillou is a French word meaning 'pebble' or 'small stone'. As a given name in the U.S. it is closely tied to the popular children's television series Caillou, whose bald preschool-aged hero made the word familiar to a generation of American families.Medium

In 30 seconds: Caillou means 'pebble' in French and is best known as the name of the children's cartoon character Caillou. Its brief U.S. run as a name tracks the show (said 'ky-YOO').
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Origin MediumFrench
MeaningCaillou is a French word meaning 'pebble' or 'small stone'. As a given name in the U.S. it is closely tied to the popular children's television series Caillou, whose bald preschool-aged hero made the word familiar to a generation of American families.
U.S. rank (2017)#12581 ↘ Falling
2017 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2001
Total births (all-time)≈ 247

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 200120012017

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Caillou is a French common word meaning 'pebble' or 'small smooth stone'. It entered the American baby-name record chiefly as a media namesake: the animated preschool series Caillou, about a curious little boy, aired widely in the U.S. and made the name recognizable to young families.

Its appearance as a given name clusters closely with the show's American run in the two-thousands and twenty-tens - only a few dozen boys a year even at its brief peak - which strongly ties the name to the cartoon rather than to French naming tradition. It reads as a distinctly of-its-moment media name.

Did you know? Caillou almost certainly owes its tiny run as an American boys' name to the beloved-and-debated PBS Kids cartoon Caillou, which ran from 1997 into the twenty-tens; in French the word simply means 'pebble'.
Overall data confidence 50%
References - Caillou — French 'pebble'; PBS Kids/Canadian cartoon Caillou; media namesake

Variations

KaillouCayouCailloCailou

Nicknames

Cai

Famous Bearers

  • ★Caillou (fictional)
    The curious bald preschooler at the center of the Canadian childrens animated series Caillou, widely aired in the U.S.

If you like Caillou…

Remy— a fellow French boys' name familiar to American families
Mathis— shares the modern French sound and feel
Pascal— another recognizable French given name
Gaston— a French name likewise known through popular media

Explore names like Caillou

By themerarefrench

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Caillou mean?

Caillou is a French word meaning 'pebble', best known as the name of the children's cartoon character Caillou.

How do you pronounce Caillou?

It's said ky-YOO /kaɪˈju/ - two syllables, stress on the second.

Is Caillou a boy or girl name?

Caillou is used here as a boy's name.

How popular is Caillou?

Caillou has always been very rare in the U.S., appearing mainly during the run of the cartoon that shares the name.

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