Cal: Getting to Cal from Calvin, Callum & Calyx

Max and Gus are short names that make for great retro picks, with plenty of longer options to fill out your son’s birth certificate.  Max can be Maxwell or Maximilian or even Maximus, if you’re raising a future gladiator.  And August and Angus are only two of the ways to get to Gus.

But are there other names like those two?  To be like Max and Gus, a name should feel both throwback and modern at once.  Short, but with lots of possible longer forms.

How ’bout Cal?  He’s part-cowboy, part-grandpa, and there’s no shortage of names that could lead to this nickname.  Baseball great Cal Ripken – born Calvin – lends him some sporty charm, too.

The Traditionals

Calvin – He’s presidential and philosophical.  At his most popular in the 1920s, he’s stayed in use over the decades.  Today Calvin feels like Walter – a little old school, but not in a bad way.

Caleb – An Old Testament name that’s been in the US Top 100 for over two decades, Caleb requires no short form.  Cale, with a long a sound, would be the more obvious choice.  But Cal could work, too.

Callum/Calum – Rare in the US, but big in the UK, this name traces back to the peaceful Columba, worn by several early saints, and derived from the Latin for dove.

The Surnames

Calder – The last name of a famous sculptor, descended from a long line of accomplished artists, Alexander Calder lends this name some real style.

Callahan – Derived from the name of a tenth century King of Munster, Callahan strikes me as both an upbeat, Irish choice and a name at home on the range with lil’ cowpokes like Wyatt.

Calloway – Jazzy, thanks to legendary performer Cab Calloway.

Calvert – A Maryland heritage pick, and possibly an update to Calvin for those seeking something different.

Mcallister – This one means “son of Alasdair,” linking him to the oh so popular Alexander.  Short form Mac might be more obvious, but there’s no reason to overlook Cal.

The Surprises

Callistus, Callixtus, Calixto – Back in the 200s, Pope Callistus I led the church for a few years before being martyred.  There’s general disagreement about the details of his life, though all of the accounts agree that he was born a slave and rose to prominence.  He’s long been considered a saint, and two more popes borrowed the name Callistus or Callixtus.  As for Calixto, he’s the Spanish form.  Calisto and Callisto are also masculine monikers in some cultures, but in English, they might be too close to the mythological – and female – Callisto, as well as Calista.  The French Calixte might be an option.

Calyx – Close to Alex and Felix at first glance, this is a botanical name and one from myth and legend, too.  There’s a case for Calyx as a feminine appellation, but this is the kind of rarity that could work for either gender.

Caliban – A villain from The Tempest, but a rather appealing sound – except for the whole rhymes-with-Taliban part.

California – In an era of kids called Montana and Dakota, California remains mostly off-limits.  But why?  He’s not more outrageous than many a state name, and California is certainly a romantic, appealing place to inspire a child’s name.

Calderon – A Spanish surname derived from the Late Latin calderia – cooking pot, or cauldron, and later applied to craters and basins on the landscape.  This makes Calderon part-surname, part-nature name – and an appealing possibility for getting to Cal.

What do you think of Cal?  Does he fit with Max and Gus?  Which longer form would you use?  Are there others that should be on this list?