Boys' name · since 1917
Cale
Since 1917, U.S. Social Security records show 8,207 babies named Cale, peaking in 2008. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1,352 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,730 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 8,207
- born since 1917
- 2000s
- peak decade
Yes -- Cale is the #2730 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 8,207 recorded since 1917.
Social Security Administration records show Cale recorded 8,207 times among boys since 1917, holding rank #2730 nationally today, ahead of 80% of boys, peaking in the 2000s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1917 to 2025.
- #1,352 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #2,730 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 8,207 born since 1917
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Cale ranks #1,352 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #2,730 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 8,207 born since 1917, peaking in the 2000s.
- #1,352 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,730 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 8,207
- born since 1917
- 2000s
- peak decade
Cale's 8,207 recorded births place it above 97.02% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
36 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
How Cale compares
8,207 Top 10% higher than 90% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Cale's all-time total is 22x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Cale | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 8,207 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 395 | 34 | 22,252 |
Cale's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Cale's SSA record in two at 1990 and the more recent half accounts for 72% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 28%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1922, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2008 peak of 395, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Cale popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1917–2025
- Peak year (2008)
- 395
- Annual births at peak, across 109 years of records
Cale popularity over time - girls
84 total births recorded since 2006 (Cale as girls' name)
Cale by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (2,721 births, 33% of the file).
2000s was Cale's strongest decade.
2,721 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 33% of all-time use.
Cale births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 8
1910s
8 births
- 1920s 5
1920s
5 births
- 1930s 11
1930s
11 births
- 1940s 11
1940s
11 births
- 1950s 27
1950s
27 births
- 1960s 119
1960s
119 births
- 1970s 705
1970s
705 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,390 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,423 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,721 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,554 births
- 2020s 233
2020s
233 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 2,721 births (33% of all-time use).
How Cale compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Cale's total volume
Cale by state
Where Cale concentrates geographically, total births since 1917
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 561 | 6.8% |
| #2 | Oklahoma | | 469 | 5.7% |
| #3 | Iowa | | 381 | 4.6% |
| #4 | California | | 362 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 341 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Missouri | | 341 | 4.2% |
| #7 | Kansas | | 299 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 285 | 3.5% |
561 of 8,207 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 36 reporting states.
Cale appears in 36 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Cale's data
- Cale's decade-level peak was the 2000s (2,721 total births); usage has since declined to 233 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Cales (561 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Cale
Nearby Names Like Cale
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Cale
Compare Cale side by side: Cale vs Caleb Cale vs Calvin Cale vs Callum
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Cale
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Cale: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2008)
Similar record span (~108 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1917–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Cale draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.