Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Calvin

Calvin is the transferred use of a French surname given among Nonconformists in honor of the French theologian Jean Calvin (1509-1564). The name comes from the French “chauve” meaning ‘bald’ (Cauvin is the Norman diminutive of “calve/chauve” meaning ‘little bald one’). John Calvin (anglicized) was an influential religious scholar who broke from the Catholic Church during the Protestant Reformation and is primarily known for the development of Calvinism (a doctrine defined by predestination and total depravity, stressing the absolute sovereignty of God). This belief system would be adopted by Presbyterianism and spread throughout the world.

All About the Baby Name – Calvin

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME CALVIN

The number Seven personality is deeply mystical and highly in tune with their spirituality. They operate on a different wavelength than the average joe. Spending time alone comes easily to Sevens, as it gives them time to contemplate philosophical, religious and spiritual ideas in an effort to find "real truth".  Sevens are wise, but often exude mystery as if they are tapped into something the rest of us don't understand. They love the outdoors and are fed by nature. Sevens are constantly seeking to understand human nature, our place in the universe, and the mystery of life in general. This makes them quite artistic and poetic, but they are also keen observers with high intellect - so they are equally scientific-minded. Sevens are charitable and care deeply about the human condition.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME CALVIN

Given its religious significance among reformed Protestant churches, the name Calvin has been an age-old American favorite. On the charts since the U.S. government began tracking naming trends in 1880; Calvin has enjoyed consistent moderate-high usage. The height of the name’s popularity came in the mid-1920s when, for a brief spell, it was a Top 50 favorite among American parents. For the past 130 years, the name Calvin has averaged around position #150, although today it’s no longer on the Top 200. Not only is the name Calvin influenced by the 16th century theologian, but also the 30th U.S. President Calvin Coolidge and the archetypal American fashion designer Calvin Klein. But let us not forget Calvin from the Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, syndicated between 1985 and 1995 – the precious, precocious and imaginative little six-year old who, along with his sardonic stuffed tiger Hobbes, gets into mischief and mayhem. A delightful character, we can easily see the attraction to this name (cartoonist Bill Watterson actually named Calvin after John Calvin and Hobbes after Thomas Hobbes, a 17th century political philosopher). Calvin is often shortened to the one-syllable pet form “Cal” (as in Cal Ripken, Jr.); which makes it a great choice for U.C. Berkeley graduates and “Cal” fans alike. We also find it interesting that Calvin is associated with the number Seven in numerology – the spiritual number, which makes it quite fitting for its original namesake, the religious theologian John Calvin.

Quick Facts

ON CALVIN

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

French

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

195

PRONUNCIATION:

KAL-vin

SIMPLE MEANING:

Little bald one, Nonconformist

Characteristics

OF CALVIN

Mystical

Wise

Eccentric

Intuitive

Imaginative

Philosophical

Solitary

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Calvin

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME CALVIN

Calvin is a character in the Madeleine L’Engels series of books about the O’Keefe and Murry families, beginning with the first , A Wrinkle In Time, published in 1962. He is a popular boy in high school, good at sports and academics alike. But it is his home life that is lacking – one of eleven children, he is either abused or ignored at home, and feels true warmth in the bosom of the Murry family, especially Meg Murry, with whom he forms a special bond. Meg and Calvin are able to communicate in a kind of telepathic style. Together with the Murry children, Calvin travels on fantastic voyages through the universe, meet other-worldly characters, more often than not saving the day against disasters. As the series progresses, the characters age appropriately, and Calvin and Meg are wed and produce seven children. We call that a happy ending!

Calvin is the precocious and often bad-tempered six year old boy of the “Calvin and Hobbes” comic strip, created and syndicated by Bill Watterson from 1985 to 1995. Together with his tiger, Hobbes, he has many fantastic adventures, which, of course, are largely undetected by the adults around him. Hobbes appears as a blank-eyed stuffed toy whenever any other characters are around, but is a clever and philosophically bent, sarcastic and highly dexterous playmate when the two are alone. Calvin and Hobbes are called after the 16th century theologian, John Calvin and the 17th century philosopher, Thomas Hobbes, but that hardly matters to their devoted fans, even when they are subjected to thinly veiled serious current world issues. The best thing about Calvin (and Hobbes) is that he is a seriously funny little kid.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME CALVIN

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Calvin


Popular Songs

ON CALVIN

For Calvin
a song by Glauco Venier

The Ballad of Calvin Crozier
a song by Seven Nations

Laugh Calvin
a song by Pleymo

Famous People

NAMED CALVIN

Calvin Coolidge (U.S. President)
Calvin Klein (fashion designer)
Calvin Edwin "Cal" Ripken, Jr. (baseball player)
Calvin Broadus (rapper known as Snoop Dogg)
Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes comic strip)
Calvin Abrams (baseball player)
Calvin Cheng (fashion mogul)
Calvin Hill (football player)
Calvin Johnson (football player)
Calvin Murphy (basketball player)

Children of Famous People

NAMED CALVIN

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Calvin

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME CALVIN

Born on Independence Day 1872 in Vermont, Calvin Coolidge’s family had deep roots in New England dating back to the time of early colonial settlements. In fact, his great-great-grandfather was an American military officer in the Revolutionary War. Calvin Coolidge became a country lawyer in Vermont and joined the Republican Party (dominant in New England during his time). After becoming involved in politics, Coolidge went to Massachusetts and diligently worked his way up the political ladder until he became Governor. After gaining national political capital stemming from the 1919 Boston Police Strike (during which time he held fast against the strikers whom he referred to as “deserters” and “traitors), Coolidge would gain the candidacy for Vice President on the 1920 Republican ticket with Warren Harding. In 1923, Coolidge would assume the presidency after the sudden death of Harding and was again elected in his own right in 1924. His presidency was marked by his laissez-faire approach, a small-government proponent and a man of few words. As a Coolidge biographer put it, "He embodied the spirit and hopes of the middle class, could interpret their longings and express their opinions. That he did represent the genius of the average is the most convincing proof of his strength." This reduction of government would not be revisited in any significant way until Ronald Reagan.