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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

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Original poster

Boy name: Cal vs Callan or Calvin

44 replies

bachi · 02/10/2026 21:11

So me and my husband both LOVE the name Cal. In my opinion, Cal is a nickname and I like the full names of either Callan or Calvin. That way he can still go by Cal but have the option when he's an adult of going by a more formal name if he wants. My husband says he's not a fan of any of the full names that Cal comes from so we should just name him Cal as his full name. I'm not against it necessarily, I just have always thought of Cal as a nickname, not a full name. Thoughts and opinions please???

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LancashireButterPie · 08/10/2026 15:21

Callan's lovely.

KookyBrickReader · 08/10/2026 12:11

Ew at all 3.

bachi · 07/10/2026 19:19

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Glimerz · 04/10/2026 10:16

I prefer Callan but I think you may spend a lot of time correcting people that it is not Callum. I think Callum is lovely personally.

lottiegarbanzo · 04/10/2026 10:00

Callan has really grown on me.

It’s nicer than Caleb, which to my ear - and this is a bit specific - is rather try-hard, retro-biblical, cos-playing depression-era US farmer. The son’s name expression of those beardy plaid-shirt, very comfortably-off, not done a day’s manual labour in their lives, hipster men. Also lacks the Cal sound.

Arlanymor · 04/10/2026 09:06

I like Calon - it means heart.

Chickoletta · 04/10/2026 09:03

HugoThatway · 02/10/2026 21:18

There are other names that start with Cal.
Calum, Caleb, Callahan, Caliban ...

Are you seriously suggesting naming a child Caliban?
a quick skim read of The Tempest is probably a good idea.

OP - Callum and Caleb are beautiful names. Not so keen on Calvin or Callan.

Sparklinggreen · 04/10/2026 08:59

Prefer Calvin, but not keen on any of these

ButtercupYellow26 · 04/10/2026 08:34

Cal is short for calorie.
Callan
Callam
Carl

EveningSpread · 04/10/2026 08:28

Caligula and Caliban - ha!!!!

My favourite suggestion is Pascal - never thought of shortening that to Cal! Unusual but it works.

DominoLover51 · 04/10/2026 08:20

I have a Callum Joshua if that’s any help

user1492757084 · 04/10/2026 07:29

Cal is a nick name to me. Maybe Cal is not the right choice if you can not agree.

Do you like Caleb or ..
Colin

Nuttyrubble · 03/10/2026 17:58

Love Callan

angelaEhen · 03/10/2026 17:54

Just call him Cal it's fine, you can't control nicknames. My parents named me Angela but wanted to call me angie but I've always been Angela

BigBadPotato · 03/10/2026 17:29

I love Callan. Couldn’t get DH on side with that one but we had a girl anyway, so didn’t matter in the end! Also I do agree with you, partly because then they have a wee bit of choice but also I just think a full ‘proper’ name is just the way to go on the birth certificate. Call me old fashioned 🤷‍♀️

HugoThatway · 03/10/2026 17:27

Calton

Calliopespa · 03/10/2026 17:03

RudePhthaloDalmadoodle · 03/10/2026 16:07

I knew a Cal, or so I thought - turned out he was Carl with a Bostonian accent.

How about

Cadfael
Cadwaladr
Calamus
Calbhach
Calcifer
Caldwell
Calhoun
Callahan
Callimachus
Callisto
Calvander
Calyx
Calpurnius
Camillo
Campbell
Candelario
Caracalla
Carlton
Carlisle
Cassiel
Catullus
Godescal
MacAllister
Pascal
Tuscaloosa

Callimachus is a great suggestion!

Calliopespa · 03/10/2026 17:02

I can't stand Caleb or Callum.

I really like Callisto! Why not, if he's only known as Cal - which, I like btw, but agree it needs a BC name.

I think it is actually really a female name and that is the only issue. (Both Callisto and Callista are female I think, even though the latter sounds more like the feminine version)

RudePhthaloDalmadoodle · 03/10/2026 16:07

I knew a Cal, or so I thought - turned out he was Carl with a Bostonian accent.

How about

Mosaic80 · 03/10/2026 15:14

I really like Cal. There’s a Netflix show with a Cal and his full name is California (maybe don’t go with that one… 🤣). I do agree with you though it definitely has more of a nickname feel than say Tom or Sam or Max which now feel like full names potentially now 🤔. I’m not sure why as they all have 3 letters! Maybe they’ve just been used as names long enough and you’ll be ahead of the curve with Cal.

I like Callan best I think from your options, not keen on Calvin. I’m not sure if you’ll always be correcting people who think he is Callum though but I think Callan is nicer than Callum.

FlorenceAndTheVagine · 03/10/2026 15:09

I like Callan. But better just Cal than Calvin imo. Calvin isn’t a nice name.

HugoThatway · 03/10/2026 15:06

Baby name explorer - Cal
He won't be the only one.

Piemam · 03/10/2026 14:54

If you decide it's a full name, then it is! Cal is the name of the young boy in Netflix show Manifest. His full first name.

AgnesX · 03/10/2026 14:49

I always thought that Cal was a nickname for Cathal.

Calvin always makes me think of the 1980s cartoon

HugoThatway · 03/10/2026 14:33

Caligula?

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