Explore the Family Name Kalaj

The meaning of Kalaj

1. Albanian (mainly northwestern Albania, also Montenegro): patronymic from the old personal name or nickname Kal, apparently from kalë ‘horse’. It is the name of a brotherhood of the northern Albanian Gruda tribe. In Montenegro the surname is usually found in the Serbianized form Kaljaj. 2. Croatian and Slovak: Slavicized form of Hungarian Kállay (see Kallay).

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Kalaj in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Kalaj has seen a notable rise in its popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of this surname escalated from 70,679 to 57,372, marking an increase of approximately 18.83%. In terms of count, there was a significant increase of 37.6%, with the number of individuals bearing this name growing from 258 to 355. The proportion of people named Kalaj per 100,000 also saw an increase of 20.0% over the same period.

20002010Change
Rank#70,679#57,37218.83%
Count25835537.6%
Proportion per 100k0.10.1220%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Kalaj

The ethnic identity of those bearing the surname Kalaj has also shown a shift according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. While in 2000, 13.18% of those with this surname identified as belonging to two or more races, this percentage dropped to zero in 2010. However, the majority, 84.88% in 2000 and an even larger 98.87% in 2010, identified as White. No individuals with the surname Kalaj identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either years under review.

20002010Change
White84.88%98.87%16.48%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races13.18%0%0%
Hispanic0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%