Caleb

The exact meaning of the name Caleb is debatable. Some sources say it stems from the Hebrew word "kelev", meaning "dog". Other sources say it's a combination of TWO Hebrew words: "kal" and "lev", meaning "whole-hearted". So you can just pick whichever meaning speaks to you most and stick with that one!

Either way, Caleb has been a very popular name, especially during the early 2000s. It was on the U.S. Social Security Administration's list of the top 1000 most popular baby names as early as 1900 or even before — but barely, coming in at #794. Its popularity continued to fluctuate during the early 20th century, even dropping off the charts completely in 1912 (and coming back periodically to hover in the 800s and 900s for decades). However, by in early 1970s, it had started to pick up steam — and continued its upward climb until it reached its peak popularity, #31, in 2009. A new character on the popular soap opera "As the World Turns" by the name of Caleb Snyder, introduced in 1988, probably helped give it an extra boost.

Its usage has declined a bit in the last decade or so, but it's by no means at the bottom of the chart; as of last count, it was just outside the top 50. It is also often seen spelled with a K — as in Kaleb — though the C-version is much more frequently used.

Most of the notable Calebs in real-life have been politicians: Caleb Strong, Caleb Cushing, Caleb Rogers, Caleb Brewster. But there have been quite a few more recognizable Calebs in literature, such as Caleb Trask, a character in John Steinbeck's novel "East of Eden" — and Caleb Followill is an actor and singer best known for fronting the band Kings of Leon.

Caleb in quotes:

"When I was 14, a kid from our community said to me, 'Everyone's talking about you, Caleb. They say you're the chosen one.' That quote made me so nervous that I seriously started to think about my future. I changed a lot during that time." — Caleb Followill

"As God said, 'My servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly' — (Num. 14:24, NIV).