Kale

Kale: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “free man”
Origin: Germanic
Say it: KAYL · 1 syllable
Used for: Boys (97% of all uses)

Usually treated as a spelling variant of Cale or Kaleb-influenced modern use, but as a name it is most often linked to Charles via Cale. This etymology is not fully certain for every use of Kale. The origin of this name is not settled among etymologists.

English names Modern names Short names

How popular is Kale?

20245.4 per million US babies

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.

Compare with another name

Babies named Kale in 202418

Peak year2008

Total US babies since 18807,594

Kale is fading: recent use is about 7% of its level ten years before.

Names like Kale

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Caleslender · English
Williamresolute protector · Germanic
Henryhome ruler · Germanic
Charlesfree man · Germanic
Milessoldier or merciful · Germanic
Robertbright fame · Germanic
Milogracious; dear · Germanic
Luisfamous warrior · Germanic

Kale questions

What does the name Kale mean?

Kale means "free man". It comes from Germanic. Usually treated as a spelling variant of Cale or Kaleb-influenced modern use, but as a name it is most often linked to Charles via Cale. This etymology is not fully certain for every use of Kale.

Is Kale a boy or girl name?

Kale is mainly a boy's name in US records (97% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Kale?

18 US babies were named Kale in 2024. Its peak year was 2008.

How do you pronounce Kale?

Kale is usually pronounced KAYL.

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.