# Calvin (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/calvin/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname from French or Spanish, notably borne by John Calvin, French Protestant theologian.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | French |
| Type | nickname, from a description or nickname of an ancestor |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 9,412 |
| US rank (2010) | 3,763 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 32,803 people |
| Change since 2000 | +5.7% (8,907 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkælvɪn/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

Latinization of Norman-Picard Cauvin, a nickname for a chauve (“bald”) person.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Calvin in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 52% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 40% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.6% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.9% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.2% |
| Two or more races | 2.7% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Calvin in the United States.

## People named Calvin

- Melvin Calvin, American biochemist (1911–1997)
- Henry Calvin, American actor (1918-1975)
- Mack Calvin, American basketball player and coach
- William H. Calvin, American academic

## Similar surnames

Colvin, Clavin, Clevenger, Chalfant, Clevinger.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.