Chaleb
A masculine name derived from Arabic meaning "man of the desert".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Chaleb. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Chaleb today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Chaleb births was 2017 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Chaleb. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Chaleb. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2017
5 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2017 SSA rank
#12,618
Tracked since 2017
Popularity
Chaleb: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Chaleb by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Chaleb during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Chaleb
The name Chaleb is derived from the Hebrew name Caleb, which has its roots in the ancient Semitic languages spoken across the Middle East and North Africa. The name Caleb is believed to have originated from the Hebrew word "kelev," which translates to "dog" or "whole-hearted." This suggests that the name may have been associated with loyalty, faithfulness, or a strong-willed character.
In the Bible, Caleb was one of the twelve spies sent by Moses to explore the land of Canaan. He and Joshua were the only two spies who remained faithful to God and encouraged the Israelites to conquer the promised land, as recorded in the Book of Numbers. Caleb's unwavering faith and courage earned him a special blessing from God, and he was rewarded with the city of Hebron as his inheritance.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Chaleb was Caleb ben Jephunneh, a biblical figure mentioned in the Book of Numbers and the Book of Joshua. He lived around the 13th century BCE and was known for his faith and bravery during the Israelites' journey to the promised land.
Another notable figure with this name was Caleb Cushing, an American statesman and diplomat who lived from 1800 to 1879. He served as the United States Attorney General under President Franklin Pierce and played a significant role in negotiating the Treaty of Wanghia with China in 1844.
Caleb Brewster Bradham, born in 1867 and died in 1934, was the inventor of the popular soft drink Pepsi-Cola. He initially marketed the beverage as a digestive aid and named it "Brad's Drink" before renaming it Pepsi-Cola in 1898.
Caleb Cushing, a renowned American lawyer and jurist, lived from 1800 to 1879. He served as the Attorney General of the United States under President Franklin Pierce and played a crucial role in the Dred Scott case, which had a significant impact on the issue of slavery in the United States.
Caleb Blood Smith, an American politician and lawyer, was born in 1808 and died in 1864. He served as the United States Secretary of the Interior under President Abraham Lincoln and played a vital role in the administration during the early years of the American Civil War.
The name Chaleb, with its Hebrew origins and biblical connections, carries a rich historical legacy. Its association with loyalty, courage, and faithfulness has been exemplified by prominent figures throughout history, making it a name with a profound cultural and religious significance.
People
Chaleb + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Chaleb as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with C
Other first names starting with C with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Chaleb: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Chaleb?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Chaleb going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Chaleb a common name?
We classify Chaleb as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Chaleb most popular?
The single biggest year for Chaleb was 2017, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Chaleb is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Chaleb in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Chaleb a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Chaleb in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Chaleb still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Chaleb in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Chaleb can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Chaleb as a first name?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Chaleb, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.