Kal

Did you know?

A few things about Kal you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Kal

Kal Penn

American actor, author, and former White House staff member in the Barack Obama administration

Choose Kal and your child shares a first name with Kal Penn, an American actor, author, and former White House staff member in the Barack Obama administration. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Kal, like who?” Kal Penn's Wikipedia article is available in 50 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Kal Penn on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Office of Public Engagement, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 28,490 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Kal, 60 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Kal would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryKal first shows up in US birth records in 1947, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 78 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIts best year was 2021, when it reached #2,040.
• 📈Then vs nowKal is 11× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 322,581 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 28,490.
• 🚀TrendKal has climbed 88 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #2,304. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedKal is most popular in Utah, where it ranks #703. It's in the top 1,000 in 1 state.

About the name Kal

Kal is a boy name of Hebrew and Latin origin. It has 3 letters and 1 syllable, starting with K and ending in “-kal”. US birth records list Kal for boys from 1947 to 2025, in 68 of those 79 years. Its best year was 2021, when it ranked #2,040 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #2,304, with 60 babies.

Origin:Hebrew namesLatin names