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Home › Baby Names Directory › Calais

Calais

♀ Girl

Pronounced kuh-LAY /kəˈleɪ/Medium

Meaning: From Calais, the French port on the Strait of Dover — a place name of ancient Gaulish root whose sense is not securely known. Used as a given name, it reads as the city, which we note honestly; some American families say it 'kuh-LAY-us' instead.Low

In 30 seconds: A place name: Calais is the French port that faces the white cliffs of Dover (said 'kuh-LAY'). It reads as the city, which we note.
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Origin MediumFrench
MeaningFrom Calais, the French port on the Strait of Dover — a place name of ancient Gaulish root whose sense is not securely known. Used as a given name, it reads as the city, which we note honestly; some American families say it 'kuh-LAY-us' instead.
U.S. rank (2024)#13744 ↗ Rising
2024 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2010
Total births (all-time)≈ 179

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201019842024

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

Calais is the French port city on the Strait of Dover, a name of old Gaulish origin whose exact meaning is not securely known. As a given name it is very rare and reads plainly as the place, which we note honestly; pronunciations vary in the U.S. Elegant and travel-marked (said 'kuh-LAY').

It appears very rarely in U.S. data. Rare, French-flavored, and place-rooted.

Did you know? Calais sits at the narrowest point of the English Channel — on a clear day you can see England from its beach — and that harbor town is what the name carries with it (said 'kuh-LAY').
Overall data confidence 40%
References — Calais — French port city; place name; pronunciation varies

Variations

CalasCalaiseCali

Nicknames

CaliLay

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Calais…

Paris— a like French city used as a name
Cali— a like short Cal- pick
Chantal— a like French-flavored choice
Francis— shares Calais's French roots
Mayvis— lands in the same popularity range

Explore names like Calais

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Calais mean?

Calais is the French port city facing Dover; its old Gaulish root has no securely known meaning. It reads as the place, which we note.

How do you pronounce Calais?

It's said kuh-LAY /kəˈleɪ/ — two syllables, stress on the second. Some U.S. families say 'kuh-LAY-us.'

Is Calais a boy or girl name?

Calais is recorded here as a girl's name; in Greek myth Calais was a male figure, one of the Boreads.

How popular is Calais?

Calais is very rare in the U.S.

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