Unisex name · since 1980
Kalei
Since 1980, U.S. Social Security records show 1,948 babies named Kalei, peaking in 2003. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4,784 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #8,509 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,948
- born since 1980
- 2000s
- peak decade
1,948 babies have been named Kalei since 1980, making it today's #8509 unisex name.
Social Security Administration records show Kalei recorded 1,948 times among girls since 1980, holding rank #8509 nationally today, ahead of 51% of girls, 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 1980 to 2025.
- #4,784 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- #8,509 of 17,297 2025 SSA year
- 1,948 born since 1980
- 2000s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kalei ranks #4,784 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #8,509 of 17,297 among girls' names in 2025. 1,948 born since 1980, peaking in the 2000s.
- #4,784 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- #8,509 of 17,297
- 2025 SSA year
- 1,948
- born since 1980
- 2000s
- peak decade
Kalei's 1,948 recorded births place it above 93.38% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
17 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
How Kalei compares
1,948 Top 23% higher than 77% of 17,297 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Kalei's all-time total is 5x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Kalei | Median girls name (Kyann) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,948 | 376 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 142 | 21 | 19,840 |
Kalei's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Kalei splits its recorded history at 2004: 52% of all births land in the more recent half, 48% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1981 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2003 peak of 142 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Kalei popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1980–2025
- Peak year (2003)
- 142
- Annual births at peak, across 46 years of records
Kalei popularity over time - boys
276 total births recorded since 1973 (Kalei as boys' name)
Kalei by decade
2000s is the heaviest window (907 births, 47% of the file).
2000s was Kalei's strongest decade.
907 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 47% of all-time use.
Kalei births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 81
1980s
81 births
- 1990s
1990s
433 births
- 2000s
2000s
907 births
- 2010s 354
2010s
354 births
- 2020s 173
2020s
173 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 907 births (47% of all-time use).
How Kalei compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Kalei's total volume
Kalei by state
Where Kalei concentrates geographically, total births since 1980
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 222 | 11.4% |
| #2 | Texas | | 113 | 5.8% |
| #3 | Florida | | 46 | 2.4% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 36 | 1.8% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 33 | 1.7% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 19 | 1.0% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 18 | 0.9% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 17 | 0.9% |
222 of 1,948 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 17 reporting states.
Kalei appears in 17 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kalei? ▼
Where does Kalei sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Kalei most popular? ▼
Where is Kalei most popular? ▼
Is Kalei a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Kalei been used? ▼
What names are similar to Kalei? ▼
What to do with Kalei's data
- Kalei's decade-level peak was the 2000s (907 total births); usage has since declined to 173 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Kaleis (222 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Kalei
Nearby Names Like Kalei
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kalei
Compare Kalei side by side: Kalei vs Kali Kalei vs Kaleigh Kalei vs Kaley
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Kalei
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Kalei: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~2003)
Similar record span (~45 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, 1980–2025 (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 Kalei 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.