Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2008

Cale

Meaning Cale is a surname and a male given name Gender Boy · 1% girls Rank 2025 #2,722 Trend → Stable

Cale is a surname and a male given name.

Rank 2025
#2,722
among boys · ↑505 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
47
named Cale · +27% vs 2024
How common
1 in 36,342
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2008
409 babies
All-time total
8,291
#1,352 all-time among boys
First recorded
1917
in Social Security records

Cale popularity over time

8,291 babies have been named Cale since 1917, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.060.130.190.2518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – 8 8 1 – #2,989
1920s – 5 5 1 -38% #4,392
1930s – 11 11 1 +120% #3,646
1940s – 11 11 1 0% #3,419
1950s – 27 27 3 +145% #3,285
1960s – 119 119 12 +341% #990
1970s – 705 705 71 +492% #847
1980s – 1,390 1,390 139 +97% #596
1990s – 1,423 1,423 142 +2% #856
2000s 76 2,721 2,797 280 +97% #624
2010s 8 1,554 1,562 156 -44% #691
2020s (to 2025) – 233 233 39 -75% #2,722

Where Cale is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 47 0.03 outside top 500
2027 47 0.03 outside top 500
2028 47 0.03 outside top 500
2029 47 0.03 outside top 500
2030 47 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Cale

Cale is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,722 in 2025 with 47 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1917, 8,291 American babies have been named Cale. Its peak came in 2008, when 409 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Cale stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Cale?

The median living Cale is about 23 years old; half are between 16 and 36. An estimated 8,000 people named Cale are alive in the United States today.

median 23 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Cale year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 47 #2,722
2024 – – 37 #3,227
2023 – – 31 #3,640
2022 – – 44 #2,879
2021 – – 33 #3,432
2020 – – 41 #2,891
2019 – – 43 #2,864
2018 – – 42 #2,853
2017 – – 58 #2,278
2016 – – 91 #1,706
2015 – – 140 #1,279
2014 – – 175 #1,093
2013 – – 180 #1,054
2012 – – 227 #911
2011 – – 259 #833
2010 8 #12,493 339 #691
2009 11 #10,101 366 #669
2008 14 #8,615 395 #624
2007 17 #7,451 323 #714
2006 34 #4,276 288 #741
2005 – – 262 #758
2004 – – 233 #779
2003 – – 237 #754
2002 – – 232 #746
2001 – – 194 #837
2000 – – 191 #839
1995 – – 119 #1,016
1990 – – 125 #922
1985 – – 186 #642
1980 – – 100 #894
1975 – – 62 #1,055
1970 – – 75 #922
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – 5 #3,948
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – 6 #3,646
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Cale, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Cale?

The median living Cale is about 23 years old. Half of all living Cales are between 16 and 36 years old.

How many people named Cale are alive today?

An estimated 8,000 people named Cale are alive in the United States, based on 8,291 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Cale mean?

Cale is a surname and a male given name.

How popular is the name Cale in 2025?

Cale ranked #2,722 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 47 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Cale?

8,291 babies have been named Cale in the United States since 1917, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Cale most popular?

Cale peaked in 2008, when 409 newborns received the name.

Is Cale a boy or girl name?

Cale is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 99% of babies with the name.

Is the name Cale rising or falling?

Cale is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Cale become more popular?

Cale looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 47 boys named Cale in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Cale

Names that sound and feel close to Cale: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Cale with similar names → More names starting with C →