Calliope
Girl name · #451 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Calliope? In official American birth records, Calliope has been tracked continuously since 1917, giving it 108 years of documented American history.
In 2025, 682 baby girls were named Calliope, placing it at #451 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1146, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,639 girls born in 2025 was named Calliope.
Babies named Calliope per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 108-year story
Calliope first appears in the Social Security records in 1917, when 7 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2025, with 682 babies and a rank of #451. 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Calliope against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Calliope in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Calliope 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 Calliope is most common
Geography matters for names, and Calliope is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Calliope is most common in NM (2.1 per 1,000), ID (1.4 per 1,000), OR (1.2 per 1,000), KS (1 per 1,000), KY (1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.5 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Calliope is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Calliope
Statistically, parents drawn to Calliope tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Clementine, Kalliope, Marlowe, Marceline, and Monroe.
ClementineKalliopeMarloweMarcelineMonroeWinnieCloverKataleya
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Calliope | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 682 | #451 |
| 2024 | 614 | #498 |
| 2023 | 622 | #492 |
| 2022 | 510 | #587 |
| 2021 | 497 | #599 |
| 2020 | 411 | #692 |
| 2019 | 407 | #706 |
| 2018 | 337 | #807 |
| 2017 | 335 | #813 |
| 2016 | 291 | #941 |
| 2015 | 221 | #1146 |
| 2014 | 199 | #1228 |
| 2013 | 187 | #1267 |
| 2012 | 147 | #1510 |
| 2011 | 128 | #1661 |
| 2010 | 87 | #2220 |
| 2009 | 55 | #3088 |
| 2008 | 47 | #3478 |
| 2007 | 42 | #3786 |
| 2006 | 35 | #4165 |
| 2005 | 36 | #3942 |
| 2004 | 14 | #7828 |
| 2003 | 26 | #4804 |
| 2002 | 13 | #7816 |
| 2001 | 10 | #9351 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Calliope?
In official American birth records, the name Calliope first appeared in 1917 (over 108 years ago), when 7 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 108 years.
Is Calliope a popular girl name?
Calliope ranked #451 among girls in 2025 with 682 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #1146.
When was the name Calliope most popular?
Calliope peaked in 2025, when 682 American girls received the name (ranked #451 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Calliope?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,639 newborn American girls was named Calliope. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.