Caleb

At a Glance: Name: Caleb – Meaning: faithful, devoted – Origin: Hebrew – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: KAY-leb

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Caleb is a Hebrew name, pronounced KAY-leb (/ˈkeɪləb/), meaning "faithful, devoted." You may see it claimed that Caleb means "wholehearted," often pointing to the biblical Caleb's wholehearted devotion — but that describes his character, not the word's roots, which trace to the Hebrew "kelev." It's a timeless classic.

Meaning & Origin of Caleb

Meaning: Faithful, devoted.

Origin: Hebrew.

A common claim: Caleb is very commonly said to mean 'wholehearted,' often citing the biblical Caleb who followed God 'wholeheartedly.' Actually: That describes the biblical Caleb's character, not the name's origin. Wiktionary derives Caleb from Hebrew kelev ('dog'), giving the sense 'faithful' or 'devoted' rather than literally 'wholehearted.'

Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.

How to Pronounce Caleb

Phonetic: KAY-leb   IPA: /ˈkeɪləb/

Popularity of Caleb

Caleb ranked #49 in 2024 with 5,766 babies given the name, down from its peak of #31 in 2009, when 10,999 boys received it.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.

Make Caleb Name Art

Free printable nursery art for Caleb, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.

Names With a Similar Story

Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.

• Matthew
• Matthias
• Nathaniel
• Abel
• Abraham
• Adam

FAQ

What does the name Caleb mean?

Faithful, devoted. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Caleb)

How do you pronounce Caleb?

Caleb is pronounced KAY-leb (IPA: /ˈkeɪləb/).

Is Caleb a popular name right now?

Caleb peaked at #31 in 2009 and is ranked #49 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)

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