My husband & I adore the name Kalico but we are unsure as to what it means before we name a child this? Does anyone know what it means (apart from the material). We would like to name a baby Kalico [name]Pearl[/name] (my grandmothers first name) Thanks
n the United Kingdom, “calico” refers to fabric made from unbleached, and often not fully processed, cotton, which may for example contain unseparated husk parts. The fabric is less coarse and thick than canvas or denim, but is unfinished and undyed. As it is inexpensive and readily available, calico is a fabric often used by tailors in the construction of toile, mockups of a garment for the purpose of testing a pattern.
In [name]North[/name] [name]America[/name] the word calico is used quite differently. In American English, calico is a word for inexpensive printed cotton fabrics with a small, allover pattern, often floral.[1] These colorful, small-patterned printed fabrics are what gave rise to the use of the word calico in the name of a cat coat color: “calico cat”. The patterned fabric also gave its name to one of the common names of a crab, the calico crab.
The fabric that is called calico in the UK is called muslin in the USA.
I, personally, wouldn’t use it but maybe something like [name]Kallista[/name] [name]Pearl[/name] might capture some of the same feel and rhythym.
In addition to [name]Calico[/name] (with a c) being an inexpensive fabric and types of cats and crabs, it’s also a name for any “blotched or spotted animal” (per Merriam-[name]Webster[/name] Dictionary), as well as the name of a bean recipe (calico beans).
In the urban slang dictionary, a calico is a type of gun (a rifle, to be specific), and is referenced by rappers.
Because of these associations, I personally wouldn’t use it on a child. I really love [name]Pearl[/name], though! 
Have you considered [name]Cleo[/name], [name]Calista[/name], [name]Calla[/name], [name]Calliope[/name], [name]Cosette[/name] (nn [name]Coco[/name]), or [name]Calandra[/name]?
Good luck!
I can only think of cats or fabric when I hear Kalico. I do love the name [name]Kali[/name] or [name]Callie[/name] though.
If you want to stick with the K spelling here are some options -
[name]Kalena[/name] - Hawaiian variation of [name]Karen[/name]
[name]Kalina[/name] - Slavic meaning “flower”
Kalani - Hawaiian meaning “leader”
[name]Kalinda[/name] - Hindi meaning “sun” or “mythical mountains”
The “C” in the lovely names could be switched to a “K”
Or how about ( I tried finding names ending in -ico but didn’t have much luck for girls)
[name]Corsica[/name]
[name]Danica[/name]
[name]Annika[/name]
[name]Monica[/name]
[name]Veronica[/name]
[name]Vivica[/name]
Surely we can get at least one positive association for “[name]Calico[/name]” from this gentle love ballad by [name]Paul[/name]? 
[name]CALICO[/name] SKIES
by [name]Paul[/name] McCartney
It was written that I would love you
From the moment I opened my eyes
And the morning when I first saw you
Gave me life under calico skies.
I will hold you for as long as you like
I’ll hold you for the rest of my life
Always looking for ways to love you
Never failing to fight at your side
While the angels of love protect us
From the innermost secrets we hide
I’ll hold you for as long as you like
I’ll hold you for the rest of my life
[name]Long[/name] live all of us crazy soldiers who
Were born under calico skies
[name]May[/name] we never be called to handle
All the weapons of war we despise
I’ll hold you for as long as you like
I’ll hold you for the rest of my life
I’ll hold you for as long as you like
I’ll love you for the rest of my…
For the rest of my life
I think “[name]Calico[/name] [name]Sky[/name]” makes a great hippie name.
– [name]Nephele[/name]
[name]Love[/name] the name [name]Calico[/name], even though I would have thought of a cat at first, and I definitely prefer the C spelling. It sounds very “all-American” to me. I was only asking someone about calico cats the other day - I thought they were what we call tortoiseshell, but it seems they are something different again.
Sorry to have gone off the point. Has anyone else noticed how I do this all the time?!
Best of luck for Kaliko!
The name for the fabric, I don’t think has been mentioned, derives from the city of Calcutta, [name]India[/name], where it was originally exported.
I generally think of patchwork quilts - [name]Calico[/name] sounds like the name of a rag doll to me, not necesarily a raggedy beat up doll, but a doll crafted of patches and scraps of fabric - the kind one may have left over after piecing a patchwork quilt. I can’t say that’s still a really positive image. I think of [name]Holly[/name] Hobbie dolls, and that time on “[name]Little[/name] House on the [name]Prairie[/name]” when [name]Caroline[/name] bought that blue calico fabric and made matching dresses her daughters only ever wore to church.
[name]Calico[/name] (as described in the US as a patterned, usually cotton weave, or even more probably is what we call muslin and in the UK call calico) really primarily does mean the fabric and its historical origin as an [name]Indian[/name] export, and overall, the imagery is agricultural/rural/pre-industrial, although I can’t imagine it being used as a name at the time and that one can still buy it by the bolt, yardage, or as they say ‘fat quarters’ - a cut yard of fabric divided in half vertically and then horizontally in relative squares rather than in 9-inch wide really long skinny pieces. The secondary application is used for multi-colored things like some cats, and as stated, bean dishes.
I, too, thought of the fabric, cats and beans. What a lovely, lovely song though. I don’t know if it would be enough so that I could use Kalico, but it might be for you.
[name]Nephele[/name] - [name]Calico[/name] [name]Skye[/name] would a great hippie name! The song was lovely and believe it or not sometimes all it takes is a great song or lyrics to persuade me. In this case I still think of our calico kitten growing up.
Thank you, Disa! Beatlemania and hippification may yet redeem [name]Calico[/name]! Hahahaha!
– [name]Nephele[/name]
Our favorite girls name right now is [name]Ruby[/name] [name]Lane[/name] and it sounds very Beatleish to me. There is also an antique store of the same name in San Fransisco. I wonder if that qualifies the name as vintage hip?
Great ideas, everybody! As a Sixties British teenager, I loved the Beatles and the Rolling Stones (and [name]Bob[/name] [name]Dylan[/name]), and always thought [name]Ruby[/name] [name]Tuesday[/name] was a fab name for a child.
I would love [name]Ruby[/name] [name]Tuesday[/name]. I actually like names likes [name]Wednesday[/name] ect. Unfortunately here in the states there is a restaurant chain named [name]Ruby[/name] [name]Tuesday[/name]. 
[name]Hi[/name] there,
This may come as a small surprise but my real name is Kalico-[name]Pearl[/name]. I have always had compliments on my name for as long as I can remember - everyone says it is unique, interesting and pretty.
Like people have said it is a material - although the material is spelt with a “C”. [name]Alice[/name] [name]Cooper[/name] named his daughter [name]Calico[/name] also - I’m not sure if anyone has mentioned that yet - I will be honest with you about one thing though - when I was going through school I got teased because my name was different (kids can be cruel)- and I hated my name as a kid because of that - but as I got older I loved that my parents named me something completely unoriginal - there are so many Sarahs and [name]Jessica[/name] and well you get my point. The name Kalico is also mentioned in a [name]Bob[/name] [name]Dylan[/name] song, so there’s a couple of cool facts for you about the name. It’s a pretty name. [name]Hope[/name] this helps
Maybe it would be a little better for a cat than a baby.
It’s [name]Calico[/name], and I’d give it middle name status.