Skip to content

California

kal-uh-FORN-yuh /ˈkæləˈfɔrnjə/

At a glance

U.S. rank 2025
Not in the 2025 data · last seen 2024 (#15,293)
Babies in 2024
5 (<0.01% of girls)
Peak
#4,291 in 1918
First recorded
1918

Meaning of California

California is a vibrant feminine name with a storied legacy, traced to the 16th-century Spanish romance Las Sergas de Esplandián, in which Queen Calafia ruled a mythical island called California. Over the centuries, this evocative title found its way to the sun-drenched western coast of North America, forever entwined with golden beaches, the promise of fresh beginnings, and the mesmerizing glow of the silver screen. For Indian families seeking a name that bridges old-world romance and modern flair, California conjures the warmth of a monsoon sunset meeting the Pacific breeze—a free-spirited child destined to chase horizons and savour every wave. Though it remains a rare choice in contemporary baby charts, the name carries a cinematic charm as fresh as a Bollywood melody, as if every syllable strikes an impromptu dance step of joy.

How to pronounce California

English

  • Pronounced kal-uh-FORN-yuh /ˈkæləˈfɔrnjə/

Popularity of California in the U.S.

California was last recorded in the U.S. in 2024, ranked #15,293 with 5 babies. It peaked at #4,291 in 1918. It first appears in the records in 1918.

Bar and line chart: California in the U.S., 1918–2024. Bars: girls given the name each year, most 16 in 2007 and 5 in 2024. Line: rank among girl names, peak #4,291 in 1918, #15,293 in 2024.
  • Girls named California (left scale)
  • Rank among U.S. girl names (right scale, #1 at the top)
By year, 1918–2024. Source: SSA. Download: PNG · SVG
Year-by-year table, 1918⁠–⁠2024 27 rows
California: babies and rank among girl names in the U.S. by year
YearBabiesRankvs previous year
2024515,293▼ 99
2023515,194▼ 1,602
2022613,592▼ 4,030
2021109,562▲ 688
2020910,250▼ 2,112
2019138,138▲ 8
2018138,146▼ 1,054
2017167,092▲ 1,301
2016138,393▲ 1,088
2015119,481▲ 1,474
2014910,955▼ 3,207
2013157,748▲ 2,681
20121010,429▼ 706
2011119,723▲ 1,523
2010911,246▼ 3,188
2009158,058▲ 3,541
2008911,599▼ 3,866
2007167,733▲ 135
2006157,868▲ 2,260
20051010,128▲ 562
2004910,690back (not recorded in 2003)
2002712,187back (not recorded in 2001)
2000515,031back (not recorded in 1996–1999)
1995611,783back (not recorded in 1992–1994)
1991611,509back (not recorded in 1920–1990)
191954,814▼ 523
191864,291new