Declining since 2018.
Popularity of California since 1918
Babies named California per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2007, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, California's real moment was 2017.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 11 |
| 1920s | 0 |
| 1930s | 0 |
| 1940s | 0 |
| 1950s | 0 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 12 |
| 2000s | 86 |
| 2010s | 120 |
| 2020s | 35 |
Meaning & origin
California is a place name that has been used as a given name since at least 1918, the first year of recorded usage. It has never been a common name, never ranking in the U.S. top 1000. Its peak year was 2017, but it has been falling in use since 2018. The name is primarily given to girls, though it is occasionally used for boys. As a geographical name, it shares the frontier spirit of other place names like Dakota and Sierra, but it remains a rare and distinctive choice.
California is a place name used as a given name, drawn from the U.S. state. The state's name originates from the 1510 Spanish novel 'Las sergas de Esplandián' by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo, which described a mythical island ruled by Queen Calafia. The novel's term 'California' likely derives from the Arabic 'khalīfa' (caliph) or from the Latin 'calida fornax' (hot furnace), though the exact origin remains debated. As a personal name, California has seen sporadic use since the early 20th century, particularly in the United States.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Cal, Cali, Fornia
Sibling names for California
Names that share California's style, for a brother or sister.
