The name Cal is a girl's name meaning "free man".

3 Letter Girl Names

Names Ending in L for Girls

One Syllable Names for Girls

Girl Dog Names That Start With C

Dog Names That Start With C

Animal Names for Girls

45+ Simple Yet Strong One-Syllable Boy Names

Literary Ladies: Unique names from  Books

Initial Names: From AJ to Zee

Hillbilly Names Have Rugged Charm

Flower Names for Boys Are Blooming

Rare Names With Popular Nicknames

Names That Let You Have It Both Ways

If Caroline is too classic and Callie too cutesy, Cal might work as a cool alternative. Well established and currently in the Top 1000 for boys, it has potential as a gender neutral option too. 
 
Yet to rank in the US stats as a stand alone girl name, that could change in the future as it has a similar feel to Scout, Kit, Tru, or Liv. 
 
If you love Cal as a nickname but would prefer a longer form that Caroline, you could consider Callista, Callahan, Calliope, Pascale, Callaway or Carmel.

Boyish Nicknames for Girls

Attitude Nicknames for Girls

Dog Names

The name Cal peaked for girls at #5831 in 1954. Cal is also used for boys, ranking #543 in 2025.

Calandra

Calantha

Callie

The name Cal is a boy's name meaning "dog; the whole of; dove; bald; war-strife; beautiful".

3 Letter Boy Names

Names Ending in L for Boys

One Syllable Names for Boys

Names that Peaked in 1880

Boy Dog Names That Start With C

Animal Names for Boys

Cal is a nickname style name that feels as friendly and calm as it does cool and breezy. While its longer forms have proved more popular over the years, Cal as a stand alone has dropped on and off of the US Top 1000 since the 1880s.
 
Traditionally, Cal derives from the Biblical Caleb, giving it the meaning "dog" or "the whole of". Alternatively, it comes from the English name Calvin, meaning bald. There are however a multitude of other origins, including Callum, Callahan, Callan, Pascal, Connally, Calix, and Macauley, which gives you the chance to pick whichever meaning you like best, some of which are listed above.
 
You could go for one of these long forms if your prefer something more formal or with a more solid meaning, but Cal as a standalone name has a long history of use. Since US records began, there has never been a year when it wasn't given to at least 5 babies, and. as of 2020, it is back in the US Top 1000 and on the rise.
 
Given to around 370 babies each year, Cal fits in with other nickname style names, like Leo, Jack, Finn, Ty, Drew, and Mack.

Nickname Names

Nonbinary Names

Boy Names Like Finn

Boy Names Like Jack

Old-Fashioned Baby Names

Popular Nicknames

Cool Cowboy Names

Names to Substitute for Will

Western Names

Three Letter Names

Unique, Rare, and Uncommon Boy Names (with Meanings and Origins)

Simple, Sleek, Cool Names

Unisex Dog Names

Cool Dog Names

Vintage Nicknames for Boys

Western Dog Names

One-Syllable Baby Names

Cute Boy Names

Cool Cat Names

Nicknames for Boys

One Syllable Boy Names

Short Baby Names

Laidback Baby Boy Names

Fastest-Rising Boy Names 2025

Old Man Names Back in Style

Athletic Baby Names

Rustic Baby Names

Nameberry

Future

The name Cal is currently ranked #543 in U.S. births. and peaked for boys at #393 in 1880. The name is most popular in Wyoming, Utah, and Utah. Cal is occasionally used for girls in 1955.

Caleb

Calixto

Callum

Calvin

Cal

About Cal

Popularity & trends

Cal in blog posts

Cal on more lists

Advanced Search

Save Cal