Total births
203
Boys' name · since 1978
Kalief
203 babies named Kalief in U.S. Social Security records since 1978, with the highest year being 1989. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 203
- total births
- 1978–2021
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 41%
- born in that decade
Kalief sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 203 recorded since 1978.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Kalief has been recorded 203 times among boys since 1978, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1978 to 2021.
- 203 total births
- 1978–2021 years on record
- 1990s peak decade
- 41% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
203 boys have been named Kalief since 1978, peaking in the 1990s, last recorded in 2021.
- 203
- total births
- 1978–2021
- years on record
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 41%
- born in that decade
1990s
Peak decade
41% of everyone ever named Kalief was born in this single decade.
1989
Single peak year
14 babies were named Kalief in 1989 - its busiest year on record.
Kalief's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Kalief's full recorded timeline at 1993, 46% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 54% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1982, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1989 peak of 14 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Kalief at a glance
Last recorded 2021Peak year
1989
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1978
Kalief popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1978–2021
- Peak year (1989)
- 14
- Annual births at peak, across 44 years of records
Kalief by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Kalief's strongest decade.
84 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 41% of all-time use.
Kalief births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 16
1970s
16 births
- 1980s
1980s
65 births
- 1990s
1990s
84 births
- 2000s 7
2000s
7 births
- 2010s 21
2010s
21 births
- 2020s 10
2020s
10 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 84 births (41% of all-time use).
Kalief by state
Where Kalief concentrates geographically, total births since 1978
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 10 | 4.9% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 5 | 2.5% |
New York share of Kalief's total US births 4.9%
Even split
10 of 203 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Kalief? ▼
203 babies have been named Kalief since 1978. It was last recorded in 2021. The peak year was 1989 with 14 births.
When was Kalief most popular? ▼
Kalief was most popular in the 1990s decade with 84 total births. The single peak year was 1989.
Where is Kalief most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Kalief are New York (10 births), Pennsylvania (5 births).
How long has the name Kalief been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Kalief since 1978 -- 44 years through the most recent 2021 data.
What names are similar to Kalief? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Kaleb, Kale, Kalvin, Kalen, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Kalief's data
- Kalief's decade-level peak was the 1990s (84 total births); usage has since declined to 10 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Kaliefs (10 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Kalief
Nearby Names Like Kalief
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Kalief
Kaleb Boy
#279 86,649 births
Kale Boy
#5270 7,379 births
Kalvin Boy
#1785 6,726 births
Kalen Boy
#2050 4,629 births
Kalel Boy
#1125 4,400 births
Compare Kalief side by side: Kalief vs Kaleb Kalief vs Kale Kalief vs Kalvin
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1978–2021 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Kalief: Baby Name Since 1978 - 203 Births, Peak 1989." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/kalief. 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 Kalief 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 July 2026.