Kalea
Kalea was the 1224th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 185 babies. Its best year was 2004, when it ranked 1199th with 187 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 292 places. More babies were named Kalea in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Kali) the black one (Hindu goddess); also a pet form of Katalin · Sanskrit, Hungarian, American English
- Rank in 2025
- #1,224 girls, up 178 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 185girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2004187 babies
- Total since 1880
- 4,646babies recorded
What does the name Kalea mean?
Kalea is a spelling of Kali, pronounced the same way, so it shares Kali's meaning and origin.
Kali has several separate sources. In Sanskrit, Kālī is the name of the Hindu goddess, the feminine of kāla, "black" (also "time"); Wiktionary lists it as a given name used especially in India. Yonge's 1884 index records Kali as a Hungarian pet form of Katalin (Catherine). In the US it is also used as a spelling of Callie. Which source applies depends on the family.
काली (Sanskrit, “the black one; name of a goddess”)
How sure is this? Probable. Several unrelated sources share the spelling.
Related names: Callie, Kaley, Kalika.
See also: Sanskrit and Indian names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kali', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Charlotte M. Yonge, History of Christian Names, new ed. (1884), index s.v. 'Kali' (19th-century work; used for dated usage facts only), Macmillan (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Kali', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
Kalea popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,224 | 185 |
| 2020 | #1,402 | 156 |
| 2010 | #1,382 | 168 |
| 2000 | #2,041 | 81 |
| 1990 | #3,395 | 32 |
| 1980 | #11,101 | 5 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Kalea, counting every spelling?
Kalea is a spelling of Kali, a name family that ranked #187 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,224 for Kalea on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,846 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kali | 948 | #323 | 5,444 |
| Cali | 518 | #574 | 3,636 |
| Kaleah | 152 | #1,425 | 868 |
| Kalea | 185 | #1,224 | 800 |
| Caleah | 32 | #4,374 | 146 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Kalea?
185 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kalea (0.05 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Kalea born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 45 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kalea.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kalea?
About 4,600 people born in the US named Kalea are alive today, with a median age of 15; half are between 8 and 22. That makes Kalea mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Kalea by state
How common Kalea was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Hawaii (46.9×), Nevada (4.4×), California (2.2×), Washington (1.8×), Arizona (1.6×). In 35 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Kalea: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kalea, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Kalea
What does Kalea mean?
Kalea is a spelling of Kali, which means “the black one (Hindu goddess); also a pet form of Katalin” (Sanskrit, Hungarian, American English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Kalea?
Kalea was the 1224th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 185 babies. Its best year was 2004, when it ranked 1199th with 187 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 292 places. More babies were named Kalea in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Kalea a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Kalea in the US.
Where is Kalea most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kalea was most common in Hawaii (4.62 per 1,000 girls), followed by Nevada and California.