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#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020202012peak #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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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 2012

  • 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: #673 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 4,491 boysWAIdaho: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedIDMontana: #176 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 558 boysMTNorth Dakota: #172 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 550 boysNDMinnesota: #528 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 3,462 boysMNIllinois: #1,073 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 9,502 boysILWisconsin: #566 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 3,898 boysWIMichigan: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedMINew York: #1,598 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 17,384 boysNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedRIOregon: #580 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 3,614 boysORNevada: #482 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 2,656 boysNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedSDIowa: #290 for boys · 13 births · 1 in 1,163 boysIAIndiana: #411 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 2,378 boysINOhio: #671 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 4,980 boysOHPennsylvania: #730 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 6,023 boysPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #1,068 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 12,131 boysCAUtah: #377 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 1,805 boysUTColorado: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedCONebraska: #297 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 1,237 boysNEMissouri: #324 for boys · 19 births · 1 in 1,671 boysMOKentucky: #477 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 3,169 boysKYWest Virginia: #283 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 1,391 boysWVVirginia: 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: #558 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 3,699 boysAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedNMKansas: #337 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 1,463 boysKSArkansas: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedARTennessee: #872 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 7,158 boysTNNorth Carolina: #875 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 7,222 boysNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #317 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 1,350 boysOKLouisiana: #437 for boys · 11 births · 1 in 2,198 boysLAMississippi: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedMSAlabama: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedALGeorgia: #959 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 7,716 boysGAHawaii: fewer than 5 boys named Kale, so not publishedHITexas: #896 for boys · 22 births · 1 in 8,075 boysTXFlorida: #919 for boys · 12 births · 1 in 7,663 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. North Dakota#172 · 1 in 550
  2. Montana#176 · 1 in 558
  3. West Virginia#283 · 1 in 1,391
  4. Iowa#290 · 1 in 1,163
  5. Nebraska#297 · 1 in 1,237

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
North Dakota#17271 in 550
Montana#17671 in 558
West Virginia#28361 in 1,391
Iowa#290131 in 1,163
Nebraska#29781 in 1,237
Oklahoma#317151 in 1,350
Missouri#324191 in 1,671
Kansas#337111 in 1,463
Utah#377121 in 1,805
Indiana#411151 in 2,378
Louisiana#437111 in 2,198
Kentucky#47771 in 3,169
Nevada#48251 in 2,656
Minnesota#52881 in 3,462
Arizona#558101 in 3,699
Wisconsin#56671 in 3,898
Oregon#58051 in 3,614
Ohio#671121 in 4,980
Washington#67381 in 4,491
Pennsylvania#730101 in 6,023
Tennessee#87251 in 7,158
North Carolina#87571 in 7,222
Texas#896221 in 8,075
Florida#919121 in 7,663
Georgia#95971 in 7,716
California#1,068191 in 12,131
Illinois#1,07371 in 9,502
New York#1,59861 in 17,384
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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 2012

girls
#9,711
11 births · 1 in 160,096 girls
boys
#721
325 births · 1 in 5,837 boys

Top girls' names in 2012

  1. #1Sophia22,336
  2. #2Emma20,976
  3. #3Isabella19,138
  4. #4Olivia17,333
  5. #5Ava15,549
  6. #6Emily13,666
  7. #7Abigail12,730
  8. #8Mia12,039
  9. #9Madison11,417
  10. #10Elizabeth9,730
  11. #9,711Kale11

Top boys' names in 2012

  1. #1Jacob19,110
  2. #2Mason18,994
  3. #3Ethan17,697
  4. #4Noah17,385
  5. #5William16,917
  6. #6Liam16,824
  7. #7Michael16,211
  8. #8Jayden16,152
  9. #9Alexander15,259
  10. #10Aiden14,924
  11. #721Kale325
More about 2012

girls

1,761,053 girls got a published name in 2012; 1 in 160,096 of them was named Kale, which outranked 50.3% of the 19,534 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 8.8% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Kale
  1. #9,109Ziyanna12
  2. #9,109Zsofia12
  3. #9,109Zyaira12
  4. #9,711Kale11
  5. #9,711Aaliyana11
  6. #9,711Aariya11
  7. #9,711Aashvi11
  8. #10,429Aailyah10
  9. #10,429Aaira10
  10. #10,429Aaleeyah10

Tied with 717 names at #9,711; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 2011
Risers
  1. ↑ 4,327Cataleya#4,807 → #480
  2. ↑ 1,931Adley#2,664 → #733
  3. ↑ 917Litzy#1,515 → #598
  4. ↑ 784Kenia#1,427 → #643
  5. ↑ 580Monroe#1,531 → #951
Fallers
  1. ↓ 429Jaden#979 → #1,408
  2. ↓ 365Payten#994 → #1,359
  3. ↓ 326Yamilet#925 → #1,251
  4. ↓ 316Shaniya#915 → #1,231
  5. ↓ 264Shania#898 → #1,162

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

boys

1,896,946 boys got a published name in 2012; 1 in 5,837 of them was named Kale, which outranked 94.9% of the 14,250 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 8.9% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Kale
  1. #718Alexzander329
  2. #719Ray327
  3. #720Sage326
  4. #721Kale325
  5. #721Harry325
  6. #723Casen324
  7. #723Masen324
  8. #723Rogelio324

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

Biggest movers since 2011
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,237Jionni#2,105 → #868
  2. ↑ 551Foster#1,544 → #993
  3. ↑ 504Major#990 → #486
  4. ↑ 433Kase#1,395 → #962
  5. ↑ 428Jael#1,411 → #983
Fallers
  1. ↓ 241Jerimiah#889 → #1,130
  2. ↓ 235Lathan#932 → #1,167
  3. ↓ 229Jorden#676 → #905
  4. ↓ 209Kyron#886 → #1,095
  5. ↓ 207Jakobe#928 → #1,135

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

See the top 100 for 2012 →