Callen
Boy name · #517 in 2025 · Distinctive
Callen ranks #517 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 579 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #520, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 3,109 boys born in 2025 was named Callen.
The 71-year story
Callen first appears in the Social Security records in 1954, when 11 boys received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2023, with 687 babies and a rank of #450. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Callen per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Callen against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Callen in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Callen is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Callen is most common
Geography matters for names, and Callen is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Callen is most common in IA (1.3 per 1,000), WI (1.2 per 1,000), KS (0.9 per 1,000), MN (0.8 per 1,000), WA (0.6 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.4 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Callen is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Callen
Statistically, parents drawn to Callen tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Zaylen, Kylen, Waylen, Raiden, and Taylen.
ZaylenKylenWaylenRaidenTaylenRaylenRowenKaysen
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Callen | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 579 | #516 |
| 2024 | 643 | #479 |
| 2023 | 687 | #450 |
| 2022 | 670 | #458 |
| 2021 | 656 | #459 |
| 2020 | 527 | #534 |
| 2019 | 511 | #551 |
| 2018 | 482 | #573 |
| 2017 | 480 | #566 |
| 2016 | 544 | #536 |
| 2015 | 554 | #520 |
| 2014 | 562 | #503 |
| 2013 | 428 | #592 |
| 2012 | 452 | #570 |
| 2011 | 421 | #593 |
| 2010 | 334 | #698 |
| 2009 | 96 | #1638 |
| 2008 | 74 | #1932 |
| 2007 | 77 | #1861 |
| 2006 | 49 | #2477 |
| 2005 | 52 | #2265 |
| 2004 | 37 | #2788 |
| 2003 | 43 | #2428 |
| 2002 | 36 | #2632 |
| 2001 | 31 | #2931 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Callen a popular boy name?
Callen ranked #517 among boys in 2025 with 579 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #520.
When was the name Callen most popular?
Callen peaked in 2023, when 687 American boys received the name (ranked #450 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Callen?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 3,109 newborn American boys was named Callen. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.