Declining since 2009.
Popularity of Caileb since 1996
Babies named Caileb per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 24 |
| 2000s | 122 |
| 2010s | 86 |
| 2020s | 5 |
Meaning & origin
Caileb is a modern spelling of the ancient name Caleb, first recorded in the United States in 1996. Its popularity peaked in 2009, and it has been on a steady decline since that year. The variant spelling with 'ai' reflects a broader trend of creative respellings that emerged in the late 20th century. Although the name has not ranked among the top 1000 names nationally, its trajectory shows a clear generation of use: rising quickly in the early 2000s, peaking in 2009, and then falling. Parents choosing Caileb today are selecting a name that is both familiar and distinctive, linking to the biblical Caleb while offering a unique orthographic twist.
Caileb is a modern respelling of the biblical name Caleb, which in Hebrew is possibly derived from kelev ('dog') or a compound meaning 'whole-hearted'. The spelling with 'ai' reflects contemporary creative naming trends, popularized in the late 20th century. Its usage in the U.S. began in the mid-1990s.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Cale, Cai
Sibling names for Caileb
Names that share Caileb's style, for a brother or sister.
