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Home › Baby Names Directory › Calder

Calder

♂ Boy

Pronounced KAL-dehr /ˈkæl.dɛr/Medium

Meaning: From a river/place name and surname meaning 'hard/rapid water' or 'rocky stream', from Brittonic caled 'hard' + water elementLow

In 30 seconds: Calder is a Scottish boy's name drawn from a river and place name meaning roughly 'hard, rapid water' or 'rocky stream'. It comes from the Brittonic word caled, 'hard', joined to a water element.
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Origin MediumScottish, English
MeaningFrom a river/place name and surname meaning 'hard/rapid water' or 'rocky stream', from Brittonic caled 'hard' + water element
U.S. rank (2025)#1731 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births94 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2016
Total births (all-time)≈ 2,164

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 201619802025

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

Calder began as a Scottish place and surname tied to fast or stony water, built from Brittonic caled, 'hard', plus an element meaning water. Like many British river names, it moved from landscape to surname and then into use as a first name. The meaning gives it a sturdy, outdoorsy edge rather than a soft or decorative one.

The single hard 'Cal' opening and crisp 'der' ending give Calder a brisk, two-beat sound that fits its watery, stony origin.

Did you know? Calder likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.
Overall data confidence 62%
Behind the Name - Calder — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

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If you like Calder…

Calum— Shares the Scottish background and the same 'Cal' opening sound.
Carter— Comparable surname-turned-first-name with a similar clipped two-syllable rhythm.
Alder— Echoes the 'lder' ending and the nature-rooted feel of Calder.
Carver— echoes that soft -er sound
Slater— a similarly popular pick

Explore names like Calder

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Calder mean?

Calder is usually explained as meaning 'origin uncertain' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Calder?

It's commonly said KAL-dehr /ˈkæl.dɛr/.

Is Calder a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Calder is used as a boy name.

How popular is Calder?

In 2024, Calder ranked #1991 in the U.S. for boys, with 77 births recorded.

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