Kale
A surname that usually began as a nickname for a bald or bare-headed person, though in some cases it may also be local in origin.
The #8,518 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 79,903 Americans shares it.
Etymology
In English and related languages, Kale is most plausibly a nickname surname from a word meaning "bald" or "hairless," used for someone with a noticeable lack of hair or a bare head. The historical excerpts also point to similar nickname use in Dutch and German sources, where equivalent forms could describe a person by appearance. In some cases the name may instead be local, tied to a place-name element like Hale or a similar ending, so not every family with this surname has the same origin.
History
The surname appears in medieval records in forms such as de Kale, showing that it was already being used as a descriptive byname by the 12th century in parts of Europe. Later, such bynames became hereditary surnames and spread independently in different regions. In English records, some examples may also reflect local surnames or spelling variation rather than a single family line.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same nickname pattern appears in medieval European records alongside many other color- and appearance-based bynames, such as equivalents meaning "the short," "the red," or "the black."
From the historical record
“i(<74-(. Matthew Aadley and Alice Kale: MamaireAllt.<Canlerhi>ry),n.a.i|g. itKo. MaTTled-IohnFardeilandAnn AndlcT : St. Ceo. Han. Sa. i, 307. New Ymli, 3, i.”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances