Show ContentsCale History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Etymology of Cale

What does the name Cale mean?

Although it has long been an Italian name, the ultimate origins of the Cale name are Greek, coming from the Greek word "cali" meaning "beautiful." The name was most likely taken on a surname quite arbitrarily, though perhaps the first bearer was a man of exceptional beauty.

Early Origins of the Cale family

The surname Cale was first found in Sicily (Italian: Sicilia), the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and the southern parts of mainland Italy. In later years, a few branches of the family spread to northern Italy, adopting the naming conventions there and changing their name to end in "i." Most of the family remained in the south, however, and kept the southern suffix "o." The name is of Greek origin, which explains its predominance in the south, closer to Greece. Coming from the Greek word "cali" meaning "beautiful" the name was probably purely ornamental, though perhaps it was given because the first bearer was a man of exceptional beauty.

Early History of the Cale family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cale research. Another 47 words (3 lines of text) covering the years 1272 and 1613 are included under the topic Early Cale History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cale Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Calo, Cali, Cala, Cale, Calio and others.

Early Notables of the Cale family

More information is included under the topic Early Cale Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cale Ranking

In the United States, the name Cale is the 11,583rd most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


Cale migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cale Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Susan Cale, who arrived in Maryland in 1672 2
  • William Cale, who landed in Maryland in 1672 2
Cale Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • George Cale, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1872 2

Cale migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Cale Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • John Cale, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1750

Cale migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Cale Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Miss Ann Cale, English convict who was convicted in Bristol, England for 14 years, transported aboard the "Diana" on 4th December 1832, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Cale (post 1700) +

  • Eden Myfanwy Cale (b. 1985), American actress and filmmaker
  • Thomas Cale (1848-1941), American politician, delegate to the United States House of Representatives from the District of Alaska
  • Paula Korologos Cale (b. 1970), American actress, best known for her role as Joanie Hansen on the television series Providence (1999)
  • John Weldon "J.J." Cale (1938-2013), American Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter and musician, best known for his songs "After Midnight" and "Cocaine" made famous by Eric Clapton
  • Pandeli Cale (1879-1923), one of the signatories of Albanian Declaration of Independence
  • Bruce Cale (b. 1939), Australian jazz double-bassist and composer
  • William Raymond "Ray" Cale (1922-2006), Welsh dual code rugby international player
  • Franklin Cale (b. 1983), South African football midfielder
  • John Davies Cale OBE (b. 1942), Welsh musician, composer, singer-songwriter and founding member of the experimental rock band The Velvet Underground
  • Joseph Cale Gundy (b. 1972), American football quarterback


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 5th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/Diana


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