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Callum

Scottish form of Columba, Latin
"dove"
Clare Green
By Clare Green
Updated Mon Jul 14 2025

Callum Origin and Meaning

The name Callum is a boy's name of Scottish origin meaning "dove".

Callum is a gentle, charming name of Scottish origin, that is a popular choice across the UK. In the US, it was a rare option until the late 2000s, however, since 2017 it's been rising up the ranks. Complete with easy, breezy and cool nickname Cal, it climbed more than 60 places in the US in 2024, placing it just outside the Top 150.

The name was derived from the Latin Columba, a unisex given name meaning "dove", which in turn made it popular among early Christians because the dove is a symbol of purity, peace and the Holy Spirit. St. Columba was one of the most influential of the early Celtic saints for building a monastery on the Scottish island of Iona, and essentially bringing Christianity to Scotland.

While Callum can be considered a spiritual choice then, the symbolism is subtle, making the name more versatile and accessible. Doves represent peace more broadly after all.

Also spelled as Calum, other variations include the Irish Colm and Colman, the German Koloman, and the Scottish Malcolm.

# 159 in the US

Callum Rank in US Top 1000

# 27 on Nameberry

Callum Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Popularity of the name Callum

20 Names Similar to Callum

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Callum.

Famous People Named Callum

  • (Daniel James) Callum Blue
    English actor
  • Callum Ilott
    British racing driver
  • Callum Keith Rennie
    English,Canadian actor
  • Callum Rory McKenzie Francis
    English actor and singer
  • Callum Henry McManaman
    English footballer
  • Callum James Ferguson
    Australian cricketer
  • Callum Thomas Owen Paterson
    English footballer
  • Callum Smith
    British boxer
  • Callum Eddie Graham Wilson
    English footballer
  • Callum Robilliard Turner
    English actor
  • Callum McGinley 'Callux'
    YouTuber
  • Callum Airey 'Calfreezy'
    YouTuber
  • Callum Lyon MacLachlan
    son of actor Kyle MacLachlan
  • Callum Ryan Moses Schweain (b. 2010)
    son of singer Kristin Swinford,Schweain of ZOEgirl

The name Callum in Pop Culture

  • Callum McGregor
    character in Malorie Blackman's 'Noughts and Crosses' series
  • Callum
    character on British TV series "The Sparticle Mystery"
  • Callum “Halfway” Highway
    character on British soap “Eastenders”
  • Callum Jones
    character on Australian soap "Neighbours"
  • Callum Reyes
    character in "Reboot" by Amy Tintera
  • Callum Rennie
    character on British soap "Emmerdale"
  • Callum Kane
    character on British soap "Hollyoaks"
  • Callum
    character in horror game 'The Park'
  • Callum "Cal" Lynch
    character in the film "Assassin's Creed"
  • Callum Hunt
    main character of Holly Black and Cassandra Clare's "Magisterium" series
  • Prince Callum
    character in animated TV series "The Dragon Prince"

The name Callum in Nameberry Blog Posts