Kaleo
Kaleo was the 898th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 265 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,366 places. More babies were named Kaleo in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Meaning the voice · Hawaiian
Say it kuh-LAY-oh /kəˈleɪoʊ/
- Rank in 2025
- #898 boys, up 609 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 265boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025265 babies
- Total since 1880
- 2,257babies recorded
What does the name Kaleo mean?
Kaleo is Hawaiian, made of the article ka 'the' and leo 'voice, sound', so 'the voice'. Andrews' Hawaiian dictionary (revised 1922) glosses leo as a voice or sound, and Wiktionary gives the same analysis of the name. Wiktionary also notes that Kaleo can serve as a short form of longer Hawaiian names beginning with Kaleo-. It was once given to girls as well as boys, but is now mainly a boys' name.
ka (Hawaiian, “the”)leo (Hawaiian, “voice, sound”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Pronunciation: In Hawaiian each vowel is sounded: kah-LEH-oh.
See also: Hawaiian names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Kaleo' (Hawaiian section), Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'leo' (Hawaiian section), Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Lorrin Andrews, A Dictionary of the Hawaiian Language, rev. H. H. Parker (1922), s.v. 'Leo', Board of Commissioners of Public Archives, Honolulu (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
Kaleo popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 5 since 2025, 5 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #898 | 265 |
| 2020 | #1,507 | 112 |
| 2010 | #2,663 | 46 |
| 2000 | #4,295 | 18 |
| 1990 | #4,285 | 13 |
| 1980 | #4,727 | 8 |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Kaleo, counting every spelling?
Kaleo is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #831 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #898 for Kaleo on its own. Together these spellings went to 280 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaleo | 265 | #898 | 858 |
| Caleo | 15 | #5,898 | 35 |
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 Kaleo?
265 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Kaleo (0.07 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Kaleo 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 32 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Kaleo.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Kaleo?
About 2,200 people born in the US named Kaleo are alive today, with a median age of 8; half are between 3 and 17. That makes Kaleo a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Kaleo by state
How common Kaleo was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Hawaii (18.8×), Nevada (3.5×), Oregon (3.3×), Arizona (2.4×), California (2.2×). In 31 states fewer than five boys 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 Kaleo: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Kaleo, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Kaleo · Sibling names for Kaleo
Questions about the name Kaleo
What does Kaleo mean?
Kaleo means “the voice” (Hawaiian origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Kaleo?
Kaleo was the 898th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 265 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,366 places. More babies were named Kaleo in the 2020s than in any other decade.
Is Kaleo a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Kaleo in the US.
Where is Kaleo most popular?
In 2021–2025, Kaleo was most common in Hawaii (1.87 per 1,000 boys), followed by Nevada and Oregon.