Kal
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- KAL
- Origin
- Modern
- UK rank, 2025
- #3,329 for boys
- US rank, 2025
- #2,304 for boys
Kal is a boys' name of Modern origin. In 2025 it ranked 3,329th for boys in the UK (6 babies) and 2,304th for boys in the US (60 babies).
What does Kal mean?
Modern: short form of names such as Kalvin, Kaleb and Kallum
Usually a short form of names such as Calum, Calvin or Kaleb; Kal-El is Superman's Kryptonian birth name.
Is Kal a girl's or a boy's name?
Kal is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 6 boys in the UK and 60 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Kal in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #3,329among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 6about 1 in 50,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Falling fastdown 66% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 6 boys in the UK were named Kal, making it the 3,329th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,052nd. Its busiest year was 2014, with 17 boys.
Half of all the boys named Kal in the UK since 1996 were born between 2007 and 2019, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 16 boys in the UK were given Kal or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #1,452, up from #3,329 for this spelling alone.
- Cal 10
- Kal 6
Among boys in 2025, it was 3,239th in England and Wales.
Kal in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6 | #3,329 |
| 2024 | 6 | #3,335 |
| 2023 | 2 | #6,493 |
| 2022 | 11 | #2,143 |
| 2021 | 12 | #1,969 |
| 2020 | 11 | #2,052 |
| 2019 | 13 | #1,858 |
| 2018 | 17 | #1,555 |
| 2017 | 14 | #1,822 |
| 2016 | 9 | #2,468 |
| 2015 | 15 | #1,693 |
| 2014 | 17 | #1,511 |
| 2013 | 15 | #1,636 |
| 2012 | 6 | #3,167 |
| 2011 | 7 | #2,736 |
| 2010 | 7 | #2,775 |
| 2009 | 4 | #3,909 |
| 2008 | 3 | #4,615 |
| 2007 | 7 | #2,554 |
| 2006 | 2 | #5,314 |
| 2005 | 7 | #2,292 |
| 2004 | 9 | #1,831 |
| 2003 | 5 | #2,574 |
| 2002 | 7 | #1,900 |
| 2001 | 5 | #2,326 |
| 2000 | 6 | #1,977 |
| 1999 | 6 | #1,941 |
| 1998 | 9 | #1,446 |
| 1997 | 4 | #2,438 |
How popular is Kal in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #2,304among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 60about 1 in 28,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 11% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 60 boys in the US were named Kal, making it the 2,304th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 2,391st. Its busiest year was 2021, with 72 boys. It first appears in the records in 1947.
Half of all the boys named Kal in the US since 1880 were born between 1996 and 2020, the years shaded on the chart below.
In 2025, 614 boys in the US were given Kal or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #495, up from #2,304 for this spelling alone.
- Cal 554
- Kal 60
Kal in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 60 | #2,304 |
| 2024 | 61 | #2,313 |
| 2023 | 64 | #2,220 |
| 2022 | 56 | #2,467 |
| 2021 | 72 | #2,039 |
| 2020 | 55 | #2,391 |
| 2019 | 55 | #2,420 |
| 2018 | 56 | #2,354 |
| 2017 | 55 | #2,344 |
| 2016 | 52 | #2,437 |
| 2015 | 55 | #2,354 |
| 2014 | 68 | #2,062 |
| 2013 | 18 | #4,978 |
| 2012 | 30 | #3,527 |
| 2011 | 13 | #6,250 |
| 2010 | 18 | #5,044 |
| 2009 | 13 | #6,432 |
| 2008 | 8 | #9,013 |
| 2007 | 15 | #5,658 |
| 2006 | 12 | #6,455 |
| 2005 | 14 | #5,572 |
| 2004 | 16 | #5,002 |
| 2003 | 14 | #5,265 |
| 2002 | 8 | #7,636 |
| 2001 | 10 | #6,438 |
| 2000 | 6 | #9,104 |
| 1999 | 12 | #5,311 |
| 1998 | 7 | #7,553 |
| 1997 | 15 | #4,241 |
| 1996 | 10 | #5,528 |
| 1995 | 5 | #8,861 |
| 1994 | 0 | – |
| 1993 | 6 | #7,631 |
| 1992 | 11 | #4,864 |
| 1991 | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 13 | #4,161 |
| 1989 | 9 | #5,158 |
| 1988 | 11 | #4,157 |
| 1987 | 7 | #5,453 |
| 1986 | 5 | #6,715 |
| 1985 | 9 | #4,328 |
| 1984 | 8 | #4,549 |
| 1983 | 5 | #6,234 |
| 1982 | 7 | #5,001 |
| 1981 | 9 | #4,151 |
| 1980 | 0 | – |
| 1979 | 11 | #3,567 |
| 1978 | 0 | – |
| 1977 | 5 | #5,843 |
| 1976 | 0 | – |
| 1975 | 8 | #3,939 |
| 1974 | 10 | #3,316 |
| 1973 | 0 | – |
| 1972 | 6 | #4,438 |
| 1971 | 8 | #3,656 |
| 1970 | 5 | #4,722 |
| 1969 | 8 | #3,313 |
| 1968 | 0 | – |
| 1967 | 9 | #2,759 |
| 1966 | 9 | #2,783 |
| 1965 | 5 | #3,928 |
| 1964 | 13 | #2,309 |
| 1963 | 9 | #2,857 |
| 1962 | 5 | #4,031 |
| 1961 | 9 | #2,898 |
| 1960 | 9 | #2,869 |
| 1959 | 14 | #2,199 |
| 1958 | 9 | #2,816 |
| 1957 | 11 | #2,492 |
| 1956 | 8 | #2,967 |
| 1955 | 9 | #2,763 |
| 1954 | 0 | – |
| 1953 | 0 | – |
| 1952 | 5 | #3,731 |
| 1951 | 7 | #3,064 |
| 1950 | 0 | – |
| 1949 | 6 | #3,296 |
| 1948 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 5 | #3,731 |
Names like Kal
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Finn Kayden Muhammad Musa Zayd Kian Brody Zayn Yahya Ronan Ayaan Kai
Other spellings of Kal
Names related to Kal
More Modern names
Jayden Ailany Myla Nevaeh Jax Indie Miley Raelynn Kaiden Kehlani Alayna Caden Zayden Wrenley Mya Oaklynn
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Kal: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/kal, updated 20 October 2026.