Unisex name · since 1977
Calen
2,494 babies named Calen in U.S. Social Security records since 1977, with the highest year being 2011. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2,872 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,342 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,494
- born since 1977
- 2010s
- peak decade
2,494 babies have been named Calen since 1977, making it today's #3342 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Calen recorded 2,494 times among boys since 1977, holding rank #3342 nationally today, ahead of 76% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1977 to 2025.
- #2,872 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #3,342 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 2,494 born since 1977
- 2010s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Calen ranks #2,872 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #3,342 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 2,494 born since 1977, peaking in the 2010s.
- #2,872 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #3,342 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 2,494
- born since 1977
- 2010s
- peak decade
Calen's 2,494 recorded births place it above 93.68% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
17 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Calen compares
2,494 Top 20% higher than 80% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Calen's all-time total is 7x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Calen | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,494 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 103 | 34 | 22,252 |
Calen's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Calen splits its recorded history at 2001: 63% of all births land in the more recent half, 37% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1978 (8 births) -- compare that against the 2011 peak of 103 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Calen popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1977–2025
- Peak year (2011)
- 103
- Annual births at peak, across 49 years of records
Calen popularity over time - girls
226 total births recorded since 1985 (Calen as girls' name)
Calen by decade
2010s is the heaviest window (716 births, 29% of the file).
2010s was Calen's strongest decade.
716 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Calen births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 29
1970s
29 births
- 1980s
1980s
372 births
- 1990s
1990s
455 births
- 2000s
2000s
650 births
- 2010s
2010s
716 births
- 2020s 272
2020s
272 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 716 births (29% of all-time use).
How Calen compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Calen's total volume
Calen by state
Where Calen concentrates geographically, total births since 1977
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 161 | 6.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 101 | 4.0% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 38 | 1.5% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 35 | 1.4% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 28 | 1.1% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 22 | 0.9% |
| #7 | Florida | | 21 | 0.8% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 18 | 0.7% |
161 of 2,494 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 17 reporting states.
Calen appears in 17 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Calen's data
- Calen's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (716 total births) through the 2020s (272) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Calens (161 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Calen
Nearby Names Like Calen
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Calen
Compare Calen side by side: Calen vs Caleb Calen vs Calvin Calen vs Callum
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Calen
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Calen: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2011)
Similar record span (~48 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1977–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Calen draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.