Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2021

Kal

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #2,320 Trend ↑ Rising 14%
Rank 2025
#2,320
among boys · ↑10 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
60
named Kal · -2% vs 2024
How common
1 in 28,468
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2021
72 babies
All-time total
1,256
#4,437 all-time among boys
First recorded
1947
in Social Security records

Kal popularity over time

1,256 babies have been named Kal since 1947, 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
0.010.030.040.0518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2021Boys

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 Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s – – – –
1920s – – – –
1930s – – – –
1940s 11 1 – #3,514
1950s 63 6 +473% #2,251
1960s 76 8 +21% #2,359
1970s 53 5 -30% #3,445
1980s 70 7 +32% #4,308
1990s 79 8 +13% #4,284
2000s 116 12 +47% #5,125
2010s 420 42 +262% #2,072
2020s (to 2025) 368 61 +46% #2,048

Where Kal 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 61 0.04 outside top 500
2027 62 0.04 outside top 500
2028 63 0.04 outside top 500
2029 64 0.04 outside top 500
2030 64 0.04 outside top 500

The story of Kal

Kal is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,320 in 2025 with 60 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1947, 1,256 American babies have been named Kal. Its peak came in 2021, when 72 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

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 Kal stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Kal?

The median living Kal is about 10 years old; half are between 4 and 26. An estimated 1,200 people named Kal are alive in the United States today.

median 10 020406080100

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

Kal year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 60 #2,320
2024 61 #2,330
2023 64 #2,234
2022 56 #2,480
2021 72 #2,048
2020 55 #2,404
2019 55 #2,446
2018 56 #2,370
2017 55 #2,365
2016 52 #2,451
2015 55 #2,375
2014 68 #2,072
2013 18 #5,071
2012 30 #3,587
2011 13 #6,414
2010 18 #5,140
2009 13 #6,627
2008 8 #9,426
2007 15 #5,795
2006 12 #6,679
2005 14 #5,731
2004 16 #5,125
2003 14 #5,411
2002 8 #8,054
2001 10 #6,709
2000 6 #9,702
1995 5 #9,582
1990 13 #4,284
1985 9 #4,513
1980 – –
1975 8 #4,116
1970 5 #5,089
1965 5 #4,190
1960 9 #2,969
1955 9 #2,871
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Kal

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Kal Penn Kal Penn American actor and civil servant (born 1977) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Kal?

The median living Kal is about 10 years old. Half of all living Kals are between 4 and 26 years old.

How many people named Kal are alive today?

An estimated 1,200 people named Kal are alive in the United States, based on 1,256 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Kal in 2025?

Kal ranked #2,320 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 60 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Kal?

1,256 babies have been named Kal in the United States since 1947, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Kal most popular?

Kal peaked in 2021, when 72 newborns received the name.

Is Kal a boy or girl name?

Kal is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Kal rising or falling?

Kal is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Kal become more popular?

Kal is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 64 boys named Kal in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Kal?

Well-known people named Kal include Kal Penn (actor).

Names like Kal

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

Compare Kal with similar names → More names starting with K →