Kalei
Kalei is a name with a single cultural origin: Hawaiian.
- Hawaiian
Meaning & Origin of Kalei
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Kalei is a name with a single cultural origin: Hawaiian.
Origin data from Behind the Name .
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Hawaiian
The Story of Kalei
As a girl name
Kalei first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1980, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2003, when 142 Kaleis were born — ranking #1,395 that year. As of 2026, Kalei ranks #5,147 for girls with 25 births, gradually falling (-7%). In total, more than 2K Kaleis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Kalei first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1973, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2022, when 17 Kaleis were born — ranking #5,443 that year. As of 2026, Kalei ranks #7,812 for boys with 6 births, falling sharply (-21%). In total, more than 278 Kaleis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Kalei
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kalei 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 Kalei
What does the name Kalei mean?
What is the origin of the name Kalei?
How popular is Kalei in 2026?
When was Kalei most popular?
In which U.S. states is Kalei most popular?
Is Kalei a unisex name?
What names go well with Kalei?
About the name Kalei
Kalei is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1980 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Kalei's peak popularity came in 2003 when it ranked #1,395. Use the chart and map above to compare Kalei's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2003 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
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.