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Calder

Quick answerThe given name 'Calder' means "rough waters" or "stream" and derives from the Scottish Gaelic *calaidh* (harbor) or *coille* (wood) combined with *dobhar* (water), ultimately rooted in the Celtic languages.

Scotland · Boy · 2 syllables

C
Top 5,000

Popularity & facts

Relative popularity index, 2010–2025
GenderBoy
US Rank#1,731
TrendStable
Peak year2016
Syllables2
OriginScotland
LanguageScottish Gaelic
CultureScottish
Letters6
Numerology7 Chaldean 9
Global rank#533

Popularity over time

Popularity index
Hover the line to see any year. 100 = most popular.

Historical popularity from 1880–2025 · US Social Security Administration data

About the name Calder

The given name 'Calder' means "rough waters" or "stream" and derives from the Scottish Gaelic *calaidh* (harbor) or *coille* (wood) combined with *dobhar* (water), ultimately rooted in the Celtic languages.

Cross-referenced with Behind the Name. AI-assisted, community-reviewable. Suggest an improvement.

Etymology

The given name 'Calder' means "rough waters" or "stream" and derives from the Scottish Gaelic *calaidh* (harbor) or *coille* (wood) combined with *dobhar* (water), ultimately rooted in the Celtic languages. It is primarily used in Scottish and English-speaking cultures, with no specific religious association, and historically appears as a Scottish surname before becoming a given name, notably linked to the American sculptor Alexander Calder.

Calder currently ranks #1,731 in the United States as a boy's name. It reached its peak popularity around 2016.

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