How to say it
CAL · vin
/ˈkæl.vɪn/
Masculine
Calvin
Bald, hairless
What it means
From Latin calvinus, a diminutive of calvus ('bald'). The Latinized surname of John Calvin (Jean Cauvin), the 16th-century Protestant Reformer. Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes (1985-1995) is the dominant modern English-language anchor.
Calvin comes from the Latin calvinus ('little bald one'), a diminutive of calvus. The 16th-century Reformer Jean Cauvin Latinized his name to Calvinus, which English smoothed to Calvin; his theological system, Calvinism, gave the name lasting religious weight in Reformed Protestant communities. As an English given name Calvin spread widely after the Reformation. US President Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929) is the political anchor. Bill Watterson's Calvin and Hobbes comic strip (1985-1995) and Calvin Klein the fashion designer cover the modern English-language cultural surface. Cal is the universal short.
Popularity over time
peaked at #44 in 1924, currently #132 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Cal is the universal short and a fully separate identity. Many Calvins go by Cal in adulthood.
- Pop culture
Calvin and Hobbes (1985-1995) is the strongest English-language pop-culture anchor; Calvin Klein and President Coolidge are the older references.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- John Calvin 16th-century French theologian, founder of Calvinism
- Calvin Coolidge 30th US president, 1923-1929
- Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes) Bill Watterson's six-year-old philosopher and his tiger
Spelling variants
- Cal
- Kalvin
Names with the same feeling
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