Callum

Scottish form of Columba, Latin

"dove"

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.

Callum Rank in US Top 1000

# 159 in the US

Callum Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 21 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Callum

• 159 US 2024
• 21 Nameberry 2025
• 135 Canada 2023
• 431 Future 2028
• 233 England 2023
• 62 Scotland 2024
• 37 Ireland 2024

20 Names Similar to Callum

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

• Rhys
• Lachlan
• Ronan
• Everett
• Emerson
• Ellis
• Alden
• Declan
• Kieran
• Emmett
• Beckett
• Flynn
• Finnegan
• Holden
• Griffin
• Finlay
• Rory
• Arden
• Killian
• Bennett

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"