kalme

Kalme is a proper noun used in the Baltic region, where it occurs as a surname and as part of place names. In onomastic sources, Kalme is documented as a surname among Estonian and Latvian populations. As a toponym, it appears in the names of small rural settlements and geographic features in or near Estonia and nearby areas. The name’s distribution is sparse, and most references are to local or regional records rather than widely known locations.

The precise origin of Kalme is not universally fixed. Like many Baltic personal and place names, it may derive from older local terms, geographic descriptors, or the names of early residents or landowners. There is no single canonical meaning attached to Kalme in contemporary usage, and it is generally treated as a proper noun without a fixed translation.

In modern contexts, Kalme is used primarily as a surname and as a regional toponym. It may appear in genealogical records, historical documents, and fiction as a neutral or ethnically Baltic name component. Because of its regional scope, disambiguation is often required when Kalme appears in written sources.

See also Kalmer, Kalms, and related Baltic toponyms.