Kale
Meaningfree man · Hawaiian form of Charles
- US rank
- #7,194
- Syllables
- 2
- Peak
- #504 in 2008
11 babies were named Kale in the US in 2025. It has dropped 3,174 places in five years.
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US births per million boys, 1917–2025
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Kale you might not know, from US birth records. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
- How commonAbout 1 in every 156,250 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Kale, 11 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Kale would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryKale first shows up in US birth records in 1917, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 108 years since.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 2008, when it ranked #504. Today it's #7,194, so it could be due a comeback.
- Then vs nowKale was 12× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 13,089 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 156,250.
- TrendKale has slipped 3,174 places over the last five years and now sits at #7,194. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
- MeaningKale is a Hawaiian form of Charles, which means “free man”.
About the name Kale
Kale is a boy name meaning “free man”. It has 4 letters and 2 syllables, starting with K and ending in “-ale”. US birth records list Kale for boys from 1917 to 2025, in 76 of those 109 years. Its best year was 2008, when it ranked #504 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #7,194, with 11 babies.
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 2.2 | 461,538 boys |
| 1920s | 1.0 | 1,010,101 boys |
| 1930s | 0.5 | 2,127,660 boys |
| 1940s | 0.5 | 2,222,222 boys |
| 1950s | 2.0 | 510,204 boys |
| 1960s | 6.2 | 162,602 boys |
| 1970s | 20 | 51,020 boys |
| 1980s | 40 | 24,969 boys |
| 1990s | 55 | 18,175 boys |
| 2000s | 143 | 6,972 boys |
| 2010s | 108 | 9,233 boys |
| 2020s | 11 | 88,106 boys |
Other spellings of Kale
Questions about the name Kale
What does the name Kale mean?
Kale means “free man” in Hawaiian, as a form of Charles.
Is Kale a boy or girl name?
Kale is a boy name.
How popular is the name Kale?
Kale ranked #7,194 for US boys in 2025, given to 11 babies. Its best year was 2008 (#504).