Caleb

Caleb: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“dog”
Origin
Hebrew
Say it
KAY-leb · 2 syllables
Used for
Boys

From Hebrew Kalev or Kelev, traditionally understood as ‘dog’; some scholars have proposed other interpretations. Caleb is a biblical figure noted for faithfulness.

How popular is Caleb?

20241,735 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Caleb in 20245,775

2024 rank#49 boys

Peak year2002

Total US babies since 1880319,707

Caleb is fading: recent use is about 64% of its level ten years before.

Names like Caleb

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Kalebdog · Hebrew
  • Caleslender · English
  • Noahrest; comfort · Hebrew
  • Jamessupplanter · Hebrew
  • Elijahmy God is Yahweh · Hebrew
  • JohnYahweh is gracious · Hebrew
  • Michaelwho is like God? · Hebrew
  • Benjaminson of the right hand · Hebrew

Caleb questions

What does the name Caleb mean?

Caleb means "dog". It comes from Hebrew. From Hebrew Kalev or Kelev, traditionally understood as ‘dog’; some scholars have proposed other interpretations. Caleb is a biblical figure noted for faithfulness.

Is Caleb a boy or girl name?

Caleb is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Caleb?

5,775 US babies were named Caleb in 2024. Its peak year was 2002.

How do you pronounce Caleb?

Caleb is usually pronounced KAY-leb.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.