Calvert is a surname of English origin that is believed to have originated from the Old Norse personal name Kalfr, which means "strong" or "powerful". The name was brought to England by Viking settlers and eventually became a common family name among the Anglo-Saxon population.
The surname Calvert is also associated with the town of Calverton in Nottinghamshire, England. It is believed that some families who lived in this area may have adopted the name Calvert as their own over time. The town itself is named after an ancient word meaning "settlement by the calving place," which refers to a meadow where cattle would give birth.
Throughout history, several notable figures have carried the surname Calvert. One of the most famous was George Calvert (1579-1632), who was a colonial statesman and the first Lord Baltimore. He played a significant role in the colonization of Maryland in the United States, which was named after his wife, Lady Mary. Another notable figure is Charles C. Calvert (1845-1914), who served as the governor of Maryland from 1876 to 1880.
Today, Calvert remains a relatively uncommon surname but one that continues to be associated with strength and power due to its origins. It is also sometimes used as a given name for boys in English-speaking countries.
Based on the statistics provided for the name Calvert in the United States between 1902 and 2023, we can observe several trends over time.
From 1902 to around the mid-1950s, the number of births with the name Calvert fluctuated significantly. The peak years during this period were 1924 (with 31 births) and 1954 (with 29 births). However, there were also several years with fewer than 10 births.
After the mid-1950s, the popularity of the name Calvert began to decline. Between 1960 and 1989, the number of annual births with this name consistently remained below 20. The lowest point was reached in 1976 with only 6 births.
From the early 1990s onwards, the name Calvert experienced a brief resurgence, with several years having more than 10 births each. The most recent peak was in 2020 with 10 births. However, since then, the number of births has decreased again, with only 5 or 6 births per year between 2021 and 2023.
In total, over the course of these 121 years, there have been 1,690 births in the United States with the name Calvert. This means that while it has not been a highly popular name throughout history, it has still been chosen for a significant number of newborns during this period.