Kale

Last seen for girls in 2013 at #16,547 · #7,194 for boys in 2025, 11 births
Given to boys 97.0% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
2008 · 544 births
Debut · boys
6 births
In top 100 · boys
never
of 146 years
Total births · boys
7,379
since 1917

Kale over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Kale has never cracked the top 500 here.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201990peak #504, 2008boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025—#7,19411
2024—#5,24118
2023—#6,51713
2022—#4,44223
2021—#3,81428
2020—#4,02025
2019—#4,00326
2018—#2,67446
2017—#2,17062
2016—#1,605101
2015—#1,096177
2014—#970216
2013#16,5475#829259
2012#9,71111#721325
2011#16,7645#590424
2010#8,70113#590423
2009#8,05815#516521
2008#5,95523#504544
2007#7,09218#635382
2006#5,70923#767272
2005#10,12810#754264
2004—#802225
2003#15,7845#905184
2002—#901179
2001#13,5216#973158
2000#13,1546#986150
1999#12,6886#1,063128
1998#14,1225#999137
1997#10,8367#1,169103
1996—#1,20693
1995—#1,19494
1994—#1,078107
1993#9,5598#1,060109
1992#11,7386#1,097100
1991—#1,15591
1990#9,2478#1,021108
1989#10,8476#1,09493
1988#10,3866#916108
1987#9,8256#858119
1986—#1,01583
1985#7,5638#95092
1984#9,1446#1,12365
1983#6,7059#1,32749
1982—#1,48742
1981—#1,29451
1980—#1,44943
1979#10,2105#1,57037
1978—#1,39344
1977—#1,54636
1976—#1,64632
1975—#1,47836
1974—#1,61830
1973—#1,51432
1972—#2,02020
1971—#1,70527
1970—#1,61528
1969—#2,13016
1968—#2,03016
1967—#2,24213
1966—#2,7849
1965—#3,2447
1964—#2,8549
1963—#2,20014
1962—#2,03516
1961—#3,0978
1960—#2,8719
1959—#3,9885
1958—#3,2757
1957—#3,2577
1956—#2,36112
1955——
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1953—#3,7985
1952—#3,7345
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1945—#2,9966
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1937—#3,5185
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1925—#2,58811
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1917—#3,5456
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First appearance
1917

The first year at least five boys were named Kale! It came in at #3,545, and was given to 6 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1918–1924, when fewer than 5 boys a year got the name.

Where Kale is popular in 1990

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedNHWashington: #561 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 7,165 boysWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedMNIllinois: #1,023 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 17,844 boysILWisconsin: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedWIMichigan: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedMINew York: #1,423 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 27,769 boysNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedINOhio: #785 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 15,961 boysOHPennsylvania: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #1,747 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 41,468 boysCAUtah: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedUTColorado: #461 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 4,887 boysCONebraska: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedNEMissouri: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedMOKentucky: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedWVVirginia: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedNMKansas: #304 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 2,416 boysKSArkansas: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedARTennessee: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #386 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 3,421 boysOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedLAMississippi: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedMSAlabama: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedALGeorgia: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedHITexas: #996 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 17,026 boysTXFlorida: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. Kansas#304 · 1 in 2,416
  2. Oklahoma#386 · 1 in 3,421
  3. Colorado#461 · 1 in 4,887
  4. Washington#561 · 1 in 7,165
  5. Ohio#785 · 1 in 15,961

Best ever in a state: #109 in Montana, 2008.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Kansas#30471 in 2,416
Oklahoma#38661 in 3,421
Colorado#46151 in 4,887
Washington#56151 in 7,165
Ohio#78551 in 15,961
Texas#99691 in 17,026
Illinois#1,02351 in 17,844
New York#1,42351 in 27,769
California#1,74771 in 41,468
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Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Kale
Momentum · boys
Falling
  • 1,953 spots since 2024 (#5,241 → #7,194)
  • 3,174 spots since 2020 (#4,020 → #7,194)
  • 6,098 spots since 2015 (#1,096 → #7,194)
  • Biggest jump: 173 spots in 1985 (#1,123 → #950)
  • Biggest drop: 178 spots in 1989 (#916 → #1,094)
Rise & fade · boys
91 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1917
  • Peaked 2008 at #504 (544 births)
  • Births halved by 2013, 5 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 1,000 for 19 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 19 yrs · run 2000–2014
Share of babies · boys
1 in 3,750
  • Highest: 1 in 3,750 boys born in 2008 were named Kale (0.03%)
  • Latest: 1 in 155,280 boys born in 2025 (0.00%)
Era · boys
The 2000s
  • 39.0% of all boys named Kale (2,879) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1910s6#3,545 (1917)#3,545
1920s11#2,588 (1925)#2,588
1930s5#3,518 (1937)#3,518
1940s6#2,996 (1945)#2,996
1950s41#2,361 (1956)#3,402
1960s117#2,030 (1968)#2,549
1970s322#1,393 (1978)#1,611
1980s745#858 (1987)#1,151
1990s1,070#999 (1998)#1,104
2000s2,879#504 (2008)#774
2010s2,059#590 (2011)#1,525
2020s118#3,814 (2021)#5,205

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Kale in 1990

girls
#9,247
8 births · 1 in 237,318 girls
boys
#1,021
108 births · 1 in 19,019 boys

Top girls' names in 1990

  1. #1Jessica46,486
  2. #2Ashley45,561
  3. #3Brittany36,536
  4. #4Amanda34,413
  5. #5Samantha25,868
  6. #6Sarah25,824
  7. #7Stephanie24,864
  8. #8Jennifer22,236
  9. #9Elizabeth20,750
  10. #10Lauren20,506
  11. #9,247Kale8

Top boys' names in 1990

  1. #1Michael65,321
  2. #2Christopher52,362
  3. #3Matthew44,826
  4. #4Joshua43,237
  5. #5Daniel33,830
  6. #6David33,748
  7. #7Andrew33,673
  8. #8James32,359
  9. #9Justin30,649
  10. #10Joseph30,137
  11. #1,021Kale108
More about 1990

girls

1,898,547 girls got a published name in 1990; 1 in 237,318 of them was named Kale, which outranked 39.3% of the 15,234 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Kale
  1. #8,501Zehra9
  2. #8,501Zuly9
  3. #8,501Zury9
  4. #9,247Kale8
  5. #9,247Abelina8
  6. #9,247Abir8
  7. #9,247Adaeze8
  8. #10,193Abaigeal7
  9. #10,193Abel7
  10. #10,193Abeni7

Tied with 945 names at #9,247; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1989
Risers
  1. ↑ 5,592Alannah#6,531 → #939
  2. ↑ 1,178Symone#1,998 → #820
  3. ↑ 869Shelbi#1,750 → #881
  4. ↑ 831Latifah#1,532 → #701
  5. ↑ 828Skyler#1,564 → #736
Fallers
  1. ↓ 2,554Elizabet#524 → #3,078
  2. ↓ 1,572Katherin#717 → #2,289
  3. ↓ 652Stephani#390 → #1,042
  4. ↓ 504Ashanti#893 → #1,397
  5. ↓ 416Audrianna#759 → #1,175

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

2,054,038 boys got a published name in 1990; 1 in 19,019 of them was named Kale, which outranked 89.2% of the 9,493 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 19.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Kale
  1. #1,013Kieran109
  2. #1,013Storm109
  3. #1,013Theron109
  4. #1,021Kale108
  5. #1,021Mack108
  6. #1,023Jermey107
  7. #1,023Marcellus107
  8. #1,023Maximillian107

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1989
Risers
  1. ↑ 3,636Tevin#4,017 → #381
  2. ↑ 3,283Keenen#4,271 → #988
  3. ↑ 1,325Male#2,027 → #702
  4. ↑ 1,032Denzel#1,476 → #444
  5. ↑ 598Kevon#1,476 → #878
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,130Kiara#956 → #2,086
  2. ↓ 916Rachel#993 → #1,909
  3. ↓ 855Nicole#985 → #1,840
  4. ↓ 746Tiffany#956 → #1,702
  5. ↓ 681Sarah#819 → #1,500

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1990 →