Total births
7,379
Boys' name · since 1917
Kale
Since 1917, U.S. Social Security records show 7,379 babies named Kale, peaking in 2008. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #5270
- among boys today
- 7,379
- born since 1917
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other boys
7,379 babies have been named Kale since 1917, making it today's #5270 boys' name.
Kale has 7,379 recorded births among boys since 1917, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #5270 as of the latest data, more common than 63% of boys, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1917 to 2025.
- #5270 among boys today
- 7,379 born since 1917
- 2000s peak decade
- 63% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Kale is currently the #5270 boys' name in America, more common than 63% of boys - 7,379 born since 1917, peaking in the 2000s.
- #5270
- among boys today
- 7,379
- born since 1917
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 63%
- more common than other boys
Kale vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5270
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 63% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
39% of everyone ever named Kale was born in this single decade.
2008
Single peak year
544 babies were named Kale in 2008 - its busiest year on record.
How Kale compares
7,379 Top 10% higher than 90% of 14,294 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
Kale's all-time total is 20x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kale | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 7,379 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 544 | 23 | 22,252 |
Kale's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kale's full recorded timeline at 1988, 86% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 14% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1937, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2008 peak of 544 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kale at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2008
Current rank
#5,270
Active since
1917
Kale popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1917–2025
- Peak year (2008)
- 544
- Annual births at peak, across 109 years of records
Kale popularity over time - girls
226 total births recorded since 1979 (Kale as girls' name)
Kale by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Kale's strongest decade.
2,879 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 39% of all-time use.
Kale births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 6
1910s
6 births
- 1920s 11
1920s
11 births
- 1930s 5
1930s
5 births
- 1940s 6
1940s
6 births
- 1950s 41
1950s
41 births
- 1960s 117
1960s
117 births
- 1970s 322
1970s
322 births
- 1980s 745
1980s
745 births
- 1990s 1,070
1990s
1,070 births
- 2000s
2000s
2,879 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,059 births
- 2020s 118
2020s
118 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 2,879 births (39% of all-time use).
How Kale 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 Kale's total volume
Kale vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Kale by state
Where Kale concentrates geographically, total births since 1917
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 390 | 5.3% |
| #2 | California | | 364 | 4.9% |
| #3 | Missouri | | 327 | 4.4% |
| #4 | Kansas | | 309 | 4.2% |
| #5 | Oklahoma | | 288 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Iowa | | 284 | 3.8% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 260 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 215 | 2.9% |
Texas share of Kale's total US births 5.3%
Even split
390 of 7,379 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 41 reporting states.
Kale appears in 41 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kale? ▼
Since 1917, Social Security records show 7,379 babies named Kale. Today it holds rank #5270 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2008, with 544 births.
When was Kale most popular? ▼
Kale was most popular in the 2000s decade with 2,879 total births. The single peak year was 2008.
Where is Kale most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kale are Texas (390 births), California (364 births), Missouri (327 births).
How long has the name Kale been used? ▼
Kale has been recorded in Social Security data since 1917, spanning 109 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Kale? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kaleb, Kalvin, Kalen, Kalel, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kale's data
- Kale's decade-level peak was the 2000s (2,879 total births); usage has since declined to 118 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Kales (390 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kale
Nearby Names Like Kale
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kale
Kaleb Boy
#279 86,649 births
Kalvin Boy
#1785 6,726 births
Kalen Boy
#2050 4,629 births
Kalel Boy
#1125 4,400 births
Kallen Boy
#1476 2,743 births
Compare Kale side by side: Kale vs Kaleb Kale vs Kalvin Kale vs Kalen
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kale
Yves #5269
1,202 births · Peak 1985
Nicky #5271
7,475 births · Peak 1959
Jermiah #5268
3,240 births · Peak 2010
Victory #5272
700 births · Peak 2021
Lewin #5267
275 births · Peak 2023
Adalberto #5273
4,633 births · Peak 1993
Edvin #5266
1,065 births · Peak 2006
Dedrick #5274
4,456 births · Peak 1977
Data Sources
Data as of June 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kale: #5270 Boys' Name - 7,379 Births, Peak 2008." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kale. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Kale 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 June 2026.