Given name & surname
Caldwell
“of the cold well”·“from the cold spring”
Caldwell is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “of the cold well” (English) and “from the cold spring” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “of the cold well” (English) and “from the cold spring” (English). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1906. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Caldwell through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 636
- 636 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 1918
- 21 babies
- 2025
- 15
- #5,897 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +36%
- Rising
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 15 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 5,897 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 35.9% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 21 in 1918. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 402 as a first name in 2020; 90,100 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Caldwell’s family of names
Caldwell has a related form in Cadwel. Caldwell has a related form in Cadwell. Caldwell has a related form in Caldwel.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 6
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Caldwell
- Caldwell EsselstynAmerican physician, author and rowerborn 1933
- Caldwell JonesAmerican basketball player (1950–2014)
- Caldwell EdwardsAmerican politician (1841-1922)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Caldwell, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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