Meaning and Origin
What does the name Calais mean? Keep reading to find the user submitted meanings, dictionary definitions, and more.
User Submitted Origins
- A town in northern France on the Strait of Dover that serves as a ferry port to England; in 1347 it was captured by the English king Edward III after a long siege and remained in English hands until it was recaptured by the French king Henry II in 1558
From French Calais and Middle English Caleys (from Anglo-Norman Caleis), from the Roman name, Latin Caletum, named after the Caleti, a Gaulish tribe in the area, from Proto-Celtic *kaletos, from Proto-Indo-European *kal- (“hard”). The placename is cognate with Breton calet, Middle Irish calath, and calad.
- A city in Nord-Pas-de-Calais, in the north of France.
- A city in Maine
Calais was also found in the following language(s): Catalan, French, Middle English, and Portuguese