Holding steady.
Popularity of Caldonia since 1882
Babies named Caldonia per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1919, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Caldonia's real moment was 1882.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 25 |
| 1890s | 56 |
| 1900s | 109 |
| 1910s | 169 |
| 1920s | 158 |
| 1930s | 90 |
| 1940s | 94 |
| 1950s | 0 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 5 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Caldonia is a rare given name likely derived from Caledonia, the Latin name for Scotland. First recorded in 1882, its peak year, it was used for girls nearly 150 years ago but has not appeared in Social Security data since. With no rank or 1-in-N figure available, Caldonia remains a historical curiosity rather than a contemporary choice. Its appeal rests on its resemblance to place-name-inspired names like Georgia or Carolina, but it has never achieved similar traction. The name is virtually absent from modern records, suggesting it never entered mainstream use.
Caldonia is likely a feminization of Caledonia, the Latin name used by the Romans for the land of the Caledonii, a tribal confederation in what is now Scotland. The name appears rarely in 19th-century U.S. records, possibly as a poetic or regional choice rather than a traditional given name. Its usage peaked briefly in the 1880s and has since faded into obscurity.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Cally, Donia
Variants: Caledonia
Sibling names for Caldonia
Names that share Caldonia's style, for a brother or sister.
Sisters: Georgia, Alabama, Virginia, Carolina, Lorena
Brothers: Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, Montgomery, Sherman
