Callaway is an English surname of Norman origin, brought over from the French place name Caillouet and usually explained as "place of pebbles" or "stony ground". Most Americans meet it on golf clubs, and as a first name it rides the wave of three-syllable surnames such as Sullivan and Callahan, with Cal as the natural nickname. Callaway has climbed from number 5550 in 2015 to number 1811 in 2025, its highest rank on record.