Calla means beautiful — from the Greek kalos, or the calla lily (the most elegant funeral and wedding flower). The calla lily symbolises magnificent beauty and rebirth. Georgia O'Keeffe's calla lily paintings are among the most iconic artworks. Five letters of Greek-beauty, O'Keeffe-level art, and the flower that appears at both weddings and funerals.
Calla comes from the Greek kalos meaning beautiful, or the calla lily — the most elegant flower for weddings and funerals. O'Keeffe's calla paintings are iconic.
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First recorded
Earliest known use: Greek; Georgia O'Keeffe's calla paintings.
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Today
Calla remains a beloved choice, ranking #1565 in the US. 4,251 babies have been named Calla since 1880.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, SSA data
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How popular is Calla?
2017peak year
Today, Calla is rarely chosen — ranked well outside the top 1,000 (around #1565), with only about 139 babies given the name per year. But it wasn't always this way. At its peak in 2017, 176 babies were given the name (ranked #1322 nationally). Its strongest stretch was the 2010s. Calla's usage has held roughly steady recently. In all, around 4,251 babies have been registered as Calla since 1880.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
Calla's Life Path 6 is the nurturer's number — beautiful nurturing. People named Calla tend to be elegant, dual, and gifted at being the flower at both the wedding and the funeral.
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