boy's name
Kaleb
KAY-leb (English)
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 96,354
the United States
#296
2025 births
Kaleb respells Caleb, and the Hebrew reads as dog — which was not an insult but a claim of loyalty, since Caleb is one of only two spies who trusted the report on Canaan. It charts in all seven markets.
- Kaleb is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2007, when 3,829 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 2,901 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1970.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Kaleb Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1970s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1970s | 387 |
| 1980s | 2,542 |
| 1990s | 14,973 |
| 2000s | 34,860 |
| 2010s | 26,068 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 8,021 |
What Kaleb Means
Kaleb means dog, or alternatively wholehearted. The Hebrew kelev is the ordinary word for the animal, and the loyalty reading follows from the animal rather than replacing it.
Where Kaleb Comes From
Kaleb respells Caleb, the Hebrew Kalev, which is the plain word for a dog. A second reading splits it as kol lev, whole heart, which suits the story: Caleb and Joshua are the only two of twelve scouts who report that Canaan can be taken, and the entire generation that disbelieves them dies in the wilderness while those two enter. Read either way the name is about loyalty — a dog's or a wholehearted man's. The K-spelling is late twentieth-century American.
Kaleb in Use
Kaleb peaked in the United States in 2007, when 3,829 babies were registered, and is falling. It charts in all seven markets — 240th in Canada, 296th in the United States on 1,143 births, 301st in Scotland on 13, 356th in England and Wales on 119, 395th in Northern Ireland on 4, 427th in Ireland on 9 and 1,714th in France on 20 — across 96,354 lifetime births. The top five sit inside 131 places of each other.
How Popular Is Kaleb?
In 2025, Kaleb was given to 1,143 babies in the United States, ranking #296 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Kaleb Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Kaleb
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Kaleb Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Kaleb over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Kaleb
- English KAY-leb /ˈkeɪ.ləb/
1 nickname for Kaleb
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Kaleb in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Estonian
- Kalev
Sibling Names for Kaleb
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Kaleb — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Kaleb
What does the name Kaleb mean?
Dog — the Hebrew kelev — or wholehearted, if read as kol lev. Both point at loyalty.
Is it insulting to mean dog?
No. It reads as a claim of loyalty, and Caleb is one of only two scouts who trusted the report on Canaan.
Is it Kaleb or Caleb?
Caleb follows the Hebrew; Kaleb is a late twentieth-century American respelling.
Where is Kaleb used?
All seven markets, with the top five inside 131 places of each other.
How popular is the name Kaleb?
In 2025, Kaleb was given to 1,143 babies in the United States, ranking #296 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Is Kaleb a girl's or a boy's name?
Kaleb is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Kaleb?
Kaleb has 2 syllables.
When was Kaleb most popular?
Kaleb peaked in 2007, when 3,829 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Kaleb?
Kaleb is usually shortened to Kale.
Is Kaleb a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Kaleb currently ranks #240 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.