Boy name
Cal
Cal holds the #542 spot on the 2025 list of the most popular boy names in the U.S. That amounts to 554 newborn boys in a single year. After peaking all the way back in 1880, Cal is staging a comeback — its rank has improved for at least three years in a row. Its strongest year on record was 1880 (#392 nationally, 19 newborns), in a data series reaching back to 1880. The name's biggest fan base is in Wyoming (#89 there in 2025).
Rankings
2025 rank
#542
among boy names
Trend
Comeback
last 5 years
All-time peak
#392
in 1880 (1880s)
Babies in 2025
554
boys named Cal
Cal popularity, 1880–2025
Where Cal is most popular
Share of boys born in 2025:lowhighno data (< 5 births)
Strongest states: Wyoming (#89), North Dakota (#191), Utah (#158)
Uniqueness score
42/ 100Balanced
everywhereone of a kind
Well known, but far from crowded — the middle of the field. Based on how many babies per birth were named Cal in the most recent year of SSA data.
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