ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1947

First Year

2026

Last Year

2021

Peak Year

#2040

Peak Rank

1K

Total Count

69

Years Active

🌍

## Meaning & Origin of Kal

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. 

Kal is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include:

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kal%5F%28name%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kal%5F%28name%29)

📖

## The Story of Kal

Kal first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1947, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2021: 72 births, good for #2,040 nationwide. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 33% of all recorded Kals. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #2,345 among baby boy names with 61 births, holding steady (+3%). In total, more than 1K Kals have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

## Popularity by State

ME

WA

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

VT

NH

MA

OR

ID

SD

IA

IL

IN

OH

PA

NJ

CT

RI

CA

NV

WY

NE

MO

KY

WV

VA

MD

DE

DC

UT

CO

KS

AR

TN

NC

SC

AK

AZ

NM

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

HI

TX

FL

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

🎶

## Names that sound like Kal

Phonetically similar names — useful when Kal is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* [Cal](/cal)
* [Kalle](/kalle)
* Cool
* Call
* [Coal](/coal)
* [Cole](/cole)
* Coil
* Cull
* Col
* Coll
* Cowl
* Chel

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Kal

What does the name Kal mean?

Kal is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include:

How popular is Kal in 2026?

In 2026, Kal ranks #2,345 among boys' names in the U.S., with 61 babies given the name that year.

When was Kal most popular?

Kal reached its peak popularity in 2021, ranking #2,040 that year with 72 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Kal most popular?

Kal has historically been most popular in South Dakota, Utah, Louisiana. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Kal.

Is Kal a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Kal is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Kal?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Kal include Vere, Stclair, Holman. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

[👦VerePeak #2040](/vere)[👦StclairPeak #2040](/stclair)[👦HolmanPeak #2040](/holman)[👦BeverleyPeak #2040](/beverley)[👦GlenfordPeak #2040](/glenford)[👦BazilPeak #2040](/bazil)[👦FowlerPeak #2040](/fowler)[👦OkleyPeak #2040](/okley)

## About the name Kal 

Kal is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1947 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Kal's peak popularity came in 2021 when it ranked #2,040\. Use the chart and map above to compare Kal's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 2021 → ](/year/2021)
* [ Names of the 2020s → ](/decade/2020s)
* [ Names starting with "K" → ](/letter/k)
* [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

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.