Kalliope
Kalliope was the 1787th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 113 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 941 places. More babies were named Kalliope in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Calliope) beautiful voice · Greek
- Rank in 2025
- #1,787 girls, up 376 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 113girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025113 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,323babies recorded
What does the name Kalliope mean?
Kalliope is a spelling of Calliope, pronounced the same way, so it shares Calliope's meaning and origin.
Calliope is the Greek Muse of epic poetry, Kalliopē, from kalli-, "beautiful", and ops, "voice", as Wiktionary notes; in myth she was the mother of Orpheus. Dictionary.com also records calliope as the name of a steam-whistle organ. As a girl's name it is rare but rising in the US.
καλλι- (Ancient Greek, “beautiful”)ὄψ (Ancient Greek, “voice”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Callie, Kalliope, Calla.
See also: Greek names, names that mean beautiful.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Calliope', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Calliope', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Kalliope popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,787 | 113 |
| 2020 | #2,163 | 84 |
| 2010 | #6,500 | 20 |
| 2000 | #14,002 | 6 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | #9,607 | 6 |
| 1970 | #7,466 | 6 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Kalliope, counting every spelling?
Kalliope is a spelling of Calliope, a name family that ranked #398 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,787 for Kalliope on its own. Together these spellings went to 826 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calliope | 682 | #451 | 2,925 |
| Kalliope | 113 | #1,787 | 494 |
| Kaliope | 17 | #6,676 | 87 |
| Caliope | 14 | #7,563 | 55 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Kalliope?
113 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kalliope (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Kalliope born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 74 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kalliope.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kalliope?
About 1,300 people born in the US named Kalliope are alive today, with a median age of 7; half are between 4 and 12. That makes Kalliope a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Kalliope by state
How common Kalliope was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Ohio (1.7×). In 38 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Kalliope: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kalliope, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Kalliope
What does Kalliope mean?
Kalliope is a spelling of Calliope, which means “beautiful voice” (Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Kalliope?
Kalliope was the 1787th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 113 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 941 places. More babies were named Kalliope in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Kalliope a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Kalliope in the US.
Where is Kalliope most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kalliope was most common in Ohio (0.10 per 1,000 girls), followed by Illinois and Texas.