Kalu
The Kalu or The Kanu is both a surname and a given name for male child in Igbo or Ibo land located in the eastern part of Nigeria. Among the Igbo people it refers to the traditional Igbo god of thunder and lightning, Kamanu or Kamalu, which was then shortened to Kanu. In the Newar community of Nepal this term is used as the surname for the tribal caste under "Shrestha" Community.
Meaning & Origin of Kalu
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
The Kalu or The Kanu is both a surname and a given name for male child in Igbo or Ibo land located in the eastern part of Nigeria. Among the Igbo people it refers to the traditional Igbo god of thunder and lightning, Kamanu or Kamalu, which was then shortened to Kanu. In the Newar community of Nepal this term is used as the surname for the tribal caste under "Shrestha" Community.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Kalu
American parents first put Kalu on the record books as a baby boy name in 2008, with 7 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2020, when 8 Kalus were born — ranking #8,731 that year. About 64% of every Kalu on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. Kalu last appeared in the published SSA data in 2023, with 7 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 33 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 2000s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Kalu
Phonetically similar names — useful when Kalu 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 Kalu
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About the name Kalu
Kalu is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2008 and has accumulated 33 births in the dataset. Kalu's peak popularity came in 2020 when it ranked #8,731. Use the chart and map above to compare Kalu's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2020 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "K" →
- 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.