Caleb
Caleb is a masculine given name derived from Hebrew, meaning "faithful" or "whole-hearted”
- English
- Biblical
Meaning & Origin of Caleb
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Caleb is a masculine given name derived from Hebrew, meaning "faithful" or "whole-hearted”
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Biblical
The Story of Caleb
The earliest SSA record of Caleb as a baby boy name dates back to 1880, when 27 babies received it. 2002 was its biggest year on record, with 11,665 newborns named Caleb — #35 in the national rankings. About 33% of every Caleb on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Caleb ranks #48 for baby boys with 5,704 births, gradually falling (-11%). All told, over 330K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Caleb
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Caleb. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Caleb
Phonetically similar names — useful when Caleb is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Caleb
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About the name Caleb
Caleb is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 330K births in the dataset. Caleb's peak popularity came in 2002 when it ranked #31. Use the chart and map above to compare Caleb's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2002 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "C" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.