Kalese
A feminine name of unknown origin with multiple potential meanings.
Name Census estimates that about 145 living Americans carry the first name Kalese. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Kalese today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kalese births was 2014 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kalese. 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.
People living today
145
~ 1 in 2,363,823 Americans
Peak year
2014
13 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2024 SSA rank
#11,566
Tracked since 2000
Popularity
Kalese: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Kalese from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 72 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Kalese 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 Kalese during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Kalese
The name Kalese is a relatively modern invention, with no definitive historical origins or traditional meanings to speak of. It appears to be a creative combination of sounds and syllables, potentially inspired by other names or words, but without a clear etymological root.
Some linguists speculate that Kalese may be a variation or derivative of the name Calista, which has Greek origins and means "most beautiful." However, this connection is tenuous, and the name Kalese does not have any confirmed ties to ancient Greek culture or language.
Alternatively, Kalese could be a feminized form of the name Kale, which is a Scandinavian name derived from the Old Norse word "kálr," meaning "cabbage." This potential origin seems less plausible, given the name's modern and unique character.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Kalese are relatively recent, with the first known examples appearing in various birth records and official documents from the late 20th century. There are no notable historical figures or prominent individuals from earlier eras who bore this name.
However, in more recent times, a few individuals have gained recognition with the name Kalese. One example is Kalese Ngigi, a Kenyan sprinter and Olympic athlete who competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Another is Kalese Muturi, a Kenyan entrepreneur and businesswoman known for her work in the technology sector.
Additionally, there is Kalese Hansine, an American artist and painter based in California, whose abstract and contemporary works have been exhibited in various galleries across the United States.
While the name Kalese may lack a rich historical lineage, it has gained some modest popularity in recent decades, likely due to its unique and melodic sound. As a relatively new name, its meaning and significance remain open to interpretation and personal resonance.
People
Kalese + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kalese as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kalese: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kalese?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 145 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kalese 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 2,363,823 US residents.
Is Kalese a common name?
We classify Kalese as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 147 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kalese most popular?
The single biggest year for Kalese was 2014, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kalese is about 15 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 Kalese in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kalese a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kalese in the SSA data are female. 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 Kalese still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kalese 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 Kalese 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 common is the name Kalese?
See how many Americans are named Kalese on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.