- Origin: Pop culture
- Meaning: none
- Gender: masculine
- Pronunciation: KAHL-el
The name “Kal-el” was created by Jerry Siegal and Joe Schuster in 1939 as the original name of the DC comic character, Superman. Initially rendered as “Kal-l,” it was later adapted as “Kal-el” in 1940 editions. Some individuals have attempted to link this name as a genuine Hebrew term meaning “voice of God,” as it tangentially resembles the Hebrew words קול (kol) meaning “voice” and אלוהים (elohim) meaning “God.” The fact that the authors were Jewish has led some to speculate that this was intentional, but it is more likely a coincidence.
The actor, Nicolas Cage seems to have been to first to take the plunge and use this name on his child in 2005, alas, it is the name of American football player, Kalel Mullings (b. 2002) whose parents beat Cage by 4 years. In 2009, the name entered the U.S. Top 1000, coming in as the 978th most popular male name. As of 2022, it ranks in at #999.
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