Calvin: Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, & Inspiration

Boy name origins & meanings

Latin : Bald

What does Calvin mean and stand for?

The name Calvin is of Latin origin and means "bald". It is derived from the French surname Cauvin, which was derived from chauve meaning "bald". The name originated in the 17th century.

Syllables: 2

Boy name variations

Family name origins & meanings

Southern French : nickname for a bald man, from a diminutive of Old Occitan calv ‘bald’ (from Latin calvus).
Spanish (Calvín) : from a regional variant of a diminutive of calvo ‘bald’.

Famous people with this first name

Calvin Klein

Popularity

According to Social Security Administration data, Calvin has been fairly stagnant, staying between 140 and 150 since 2016. It has mostly increased over the years, jumping spots after entering the top 200 in 2012.

However, it is the 7th most popular name on FamilyEducation.com.

According to Google search data analysis, in the last five years Calvin was at its peak popularity in July 2016.

Calvin has not been more unpopular than rank 250 since it entered the scene in the 1920s with president (John) Calvin Coolidge. Now, it invokes images of the fashionable Calvin Klein. The name first came to be in the 17th century with Protestant reformer Jehan Cauvin (John Calvin), whom Calvinism is named after. Other notable namesakes include writer Calvin Trillin ("Calvin and Hobbs") and Snoop Dogg, who was born Calvin. It was also used as the name for a main character in A Wrinkle in Time.