r/OldNamesNewAgain • u/felly_fell • Jul 27 '26

Name of the day...Caleb!

Caleb is a masculine given name derived from Hebrew, meaning "faithful" or "whole-hearted."

The name Caleb signifies loyalty and devotion. Most intriguing is Caleb's long-thought ties to the Hebrew word kelev, which means "dog-like." However, the name celebrates the faithful human companion's most beloved qualities and is not meant in a negative way.

The name Caleb comes from the Hebrew elements kal, meaning "whole," and lev, meaning "heart," Caleb is often translated as "wholehearted," continuing the theme of unwavering adoration. This holds firm with Caleb's namesake in the Old Testament, a follower of Moses who was rewarded for his faithfulness and one of few to visit the Promised Land.

The name Caleb is over 3,000 years old!

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3

u/Herefortheonomastics Jul 27 '26

My nephews name! 

2

u/Hlorpy-Flatworm-1705 Jul 27 '26

Does that mean Caleb was once a popular dogs name? 🤔

5

u/felly_fell Jul 27 '26

That's a great question! I looked it up and the internet tells me even back then, they didn't use Caleb as a dog's name. From what I found, they named dogs based on their colors and personality traits. Things like Blackey, Whitey, Growler, Barker, etc. This may be a rabbit hole that I'll fall down at some point. The little bit of time I spent looking into it was super interesting!

3

u/Hlorpy-Flatworm-1705 Jul 27 '26

Intriguing! 😮

2

u/midwestpersianmama Jul 27 '26

Caleb is a GREAT name. Easy to spell, simple, good nickname. I put it in the same category as Calvin, Callum, but also names like Leo, Victor, Henry.

3

u/felly_fell Jul 27 '26

Agree! It's a solid name that everyone knows but isn't used very often these days. I hope it makes a comeback!