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The municipality of Calbiga started its political existence as a dependent local government unit assigned to Juan Gutierez Lopez de Legaspi, the first governor-general of Las Islas Filipinos who started the granting of estates of land to deserving Spaniards for services rendered to the Spanish crown. These land grants were called encomiendas. On February 14,1571, Calbiga was already mentioned as one of the towns constituted as encomiendas. The date was significant because it revealed that Calbiga, then spelled "Calviga", was recognized as pueblo barely a month after Cebu and Manila were similarly constituted. This pueblo was already an annex of the residence of Catbalogan around 1649, as related by Father Murillo in No.444.

This parish has the invocation of the Anunciation Nuestra de Senora. Father Huerto said in the Estado Geografico that it was separated from Umawas (Villareal) and the table of Capitular (table of assignment) of 1772, it was assigned the first cura (parish priest) en propriedad (in possession), Fr. Miguel Baco "Rico" de Jesus.

There are two version as to origin of the town's name:

According to late Attorney Filipino Singzon, the original name of the settlement was "BIGA-A", derived from a certain plant, partly vine that thrived the place in abundance. Having observed that the place filled numerous white stones, the real source of lime, a missionary later changes Biga-a to Calviva (Spanish word) Cal for lime, and Viva for living, this Calviva stands for "live lime."

On Deceber 20, 1938 the municipal council of Calbiga, headed by the alcalde mayor, Perfecto Hacbang, by order of the President Manuel L. Quezon, prepared a report on the history and culture of Calbiga where it claimed the original name "Canviga", meaning the village was led or belong to a prominent resident or chieftain named Viga. Majority of the old citizen is of the consensus that the town was founded around 1690.