Calder Surname Meaning & Origin
What the Calder last name means, where the surname began and how it spread.
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Meaning and origin of the Calder last name
Meaning of the Calder last name: hard water (river name). Calder is a Scottish surname from places on rivers called Calder, a Celtic river name meaning "hard" or "rapid water". Cawdor in Nairnshire, of Macbeth fame, is the same name. The last name is found across Scotland, and sculptor Alexander Calder carried it in America.
Arms associated with the Calder name
In Scottish heraldry, coats of arms associated with the Calder name are personal, each with its own blazon.
Get your full Calder family history
This is only a glimpse of the Calder story. The full Calder history report goes much deeper into where the name began, who carried it and how the family spread, and it comes with a museum-style painted Calder coat of arms. Get the full Calder report.
Calder name FAQ
What does the Calder name mean?
Hard water (river name). Common variants include Cawdor, Caldor.
Where does the Calder surname come from?
It originates in Scotland, and is also found in the United States, Canada and Australia.
Is there a Calder coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals rather than to everyone with a surname. Herald Lab paints a personalized Calder coat of arms in museum style, based on historic heraldry.
Sources: George F. Black, The Surnames of Scotland (New York Public Library, 1946); Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).