Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Kale

Kale is the Hawaiian form of Charles. The name Charles is the French and English version of the German name Karl or Carl, derived from the Germanic word “karl” meaning “free man”. The ancient Germanic word seemed to indicate that the man is free, but not one of nobility – which is ironic given the number of “noble” people that have borne the name in its various forms throughout Europe for centuries (Karl, Charles, Charlemagne, etc). The name owes most of its popularity in Europe from medieval times thanks to the Frankish leader and the first Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne. The name Charles was particularly popular among the Franks, who were a Germanic tribe. By the 15th century, upper-class people of England began to adopt the name, and Mary Queen of Scots (having been influenced by her French upbringing) named her first son Charles James. He would eventually become King James VI of Scotland and then King James I of England, uniting Scotland, England and Ireland under one monarchy. Both his son and grandson (King Charles I and II) reigned as king after him. Christian missionaries brought the name to the Hawaiian Islands in the early 19th century where it became Kale in the Hawaiian native tongue. Kale could also be considered a one-syllable short form of names like Caleb/Kaleb (Caleb comes from the Hebrew meaning “dog”). Kale is also the name of a healthy leafy green vegetable when pronounced KAYL as opposed to the Hawaiian KAH-leh.

All About the Baby Name – Kale

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME KALE

The number 11 is a Master Number, and embodies heightened traits of the Two. This personality is on a life journey to find spiritual truth. They are extremely idealistic and intuitive. Elevens have a rare and exceptional spiritual energy that brings a sense of obligation to illuminate the world around them. It's a very powerful responsibility, but these people have far more potential than they know. It's important that they surrender to higher ideals. They have the capacity to see the bigger picture, and they possess the skills to inspire others spiritually. Elevens have strong diplomatic skills and can become great peacemakers. Master numbers can be both a blessing and a curse, as they walk the fine line between greatness and the potential for self-destruction.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME KALE

The name Kale first appeared on the U.S. naming charts in 1985 but it didn’t stick until the start of the 21st century in the year 2000. Since this is right around the time that Caleb (followed by Kaleb) started to gain heavy usage in America, we think parents are using Kale as a one-syllable short form of Kaleb. Plus, Kale doesn’t appear particularly popular in the state of Hawaii so it seems doubtful that its original etymology holds true today. In the United States, Kale is probably more akin to one-syllable names like Kash or Kole. In other words, “kute and kreative” spelling mutations of older more traditional names. Kale has grown in usage over the past 10+ years, but it’s still rarely used compared to names on the Top 200 list. We prefer the Hawaiian pronunciation and background. It gives the name more exotic flavor and interest.

Quick Facts

ON KALE

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Hawaiian

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

827

PRONUNCIATION:

KAH-lay

SIMPLE MEANING:

Free Man (Karl)

Characteristics

OF KALE

Inspirational

Highly Intuitive

Spiritual Teacher

Extremely Bright

Uplifting

Truth-seeker

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Kale

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME KALE

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Kale

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME KALE

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Kale


Popular Songs

ON KALE

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Kale


Famous People

NAMED KALE

Kale Browne (daytime actor)

Children of Famous People

NAMED KALE

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Kale

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME KALE

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Kale