Katie writes:
I just found a name I like. Kaler (or you could do Caler or Kalor or Calor). It is different but sounds enough like Taylor to not be totally out there. I was thinking of it as a boy name, but is it too girly? I wish I had heard this name when naming my boy!
It reminds me too of the name Kyler, a Tyler/Kyle combination. And of the name Cale.
I think Kaler is risky for boys because of being SO CLOSE to Kayla. (In fact, Kayler would be a cute Kayla variation.) The C spelling helps dull the connection, but I find I then accidentally pronounce Cal as in Calum or Calvin (so that the name rhymes with valor instead of with tailor).
Opinions? What do you think of Kaler/Caler/Kalor/Calor? Would you use it for a boy or for a girl or for either or for neither? How would you spell it? There’s a poll over to the right. [Poll closed; see below.]
[Poll results (243 votes total):
Like it! I’d use it for a boy: 17 votes, roughly 7%
Like it! I’d use it for a girl: 6 votes, roughly 2%
Like it for someone else’s baby: 19 votes, roughly 8%
Neutral / no opinion: 10 votes, roughly 4%
Mild dislike: 67 votes, roughly 28%
Strong dislike: 124 votes, roughly 51%]
I like it and when I read it I read it as rhyming with Taylor too. I think it would be fine as a boys name but I’m not fan of girl’s names that end with ‘er’ so maybe I naturally drift that way.
Caler would probably end up being rhymed to valor unless you spelled it Caylor…
I grew up in the 80’s with a Kaler (female). If I remember correctly, her parents paired it with a very feminine middle name (Elizabeth?).
I like Kaler, but I agree that it might sound a little more like a girl name.
I do love the name Cael (Cale) for a boy though.
I think pronunciation might be confusing for many upon first seeing the name: Kay-lor or Kah-lor or Call-er.
It reminds me of how parents add “-en” to a name they want to use as a nickname, but don’t think is long enough or formal enough to be a “real name.” The most egregious example is Trenton (just use Trent! Trenton is a very gross city!), but this strikes me the same way. Just use Cale if that’s what you like. Caler sounds extremely made-up to me, and to my taste, that’s a bad thing.
Kahler is an actual surname (pronounced Kale-er). Does that solve any problems? Hmmm…looking at it, I’m guessing not.
I think it’s awful and would not consider it for a boy or girl.
gotta say, I’m really not a fan, but mostly because of the “er” sound as well. Why not Caleb? Unless it is well established as a boys name, the Kay sound is very feminine to my ear.
It feels too contrived. I prefer the Cael/Kale name.
There are many Taylors in the world, female & male, I would be afraid that he would end up answering each time one of those anmes are called.
I think it reeks of random letters pulled together – looks totally made up. I’m sorry, but I really don’t care for it. If you insist on using it, I think it sounds too feminine for a boy, and unless you spell it “Caylor” this poor child will probably go through a lifetime of mispronunciations and raised eyebrows.
If “different” is what you are going for, then Kaler is not the way to go. It sounds almost exactly like Taylor, Kaden, Kayla, Kaleb, and Calin… all students in my class this year.
I’m not a fan of the name Kaler, but I don’t think it’s THAT bad. I am a little surprised at the strength of these negative comments. Um, where were you earlier in the year when that one lady was naming her son Devereaux? If given the choice between those two, I would name my kid Kaler 10 times out of 10. But I don’t remember one negative comment about Devereaux.
Kaler. Do not like. Its too “made up” just like the Jaden, Aiden, Braden, Hayden etc crowd. I agree with anonymous at 12:18. And Anonymous at 1:51.
I would not use.
The writer already LIKES the name and isn’t asking whether or not we all like it, but about the male/female issue. I think Kaler works fine as male name. I would stay away from the spelling calor though – “hace calor” is “it’s warm” in Spanish.
I don’t think it sounds like a distinctive boy or girl name. The original spelling is the best one, though the name seems to not be too popular among readers. Try Keller? Kellen? Kayler (would give it a distinctive female feel.)
Hmm. It doesn’t personally appeal to me, but I tend to prefer pretty traditional names.
I’m torn on the boy/girl thing. At first, I totally read it as a boy name… because I lumped it in the Caden family of names.
But if the spelling was slightly different (like Kayler, as was suggested) then I totally see it as female.
I think it could go either way, really. If I saw a boy or a girl with it, I think it would work (but certain spellings would lend to making it more masculine or feminine). I just personally wouldn’t choose it (but this is from a girl whose future children will be named Sophie and Owen, LOL, so you can see I lean towards the less unique names). :-(
I think it could go for a boy name. In fact, I hear it more Boy than Girl, probably because of the -er ending.
It does have whiffs of the old, old Southern accent that turned words ending in “-ah” into “-er.” My grandmother had a friend she referred to as “Verbener,” but her name was actually “Verbena.” That accent is fading away, though, so really it’s so obscure that it isn’t even worth mentioning. I guess I just wanted to see if I could spell “Verbener.”
I think it’s confusing. The only spelling that seems right is the Kayler that Swistle suggested. Other than that, I’m not sure how Calor/Caler/Kaler should sound.
Overall, Kayler strikes me as a worst-of-both-worlds name. It’s close to Taylor/Kayla/Hailey, etc. so it doesn’t really stand out. But it’s different enough that it has to be spelled and pronounced over and over again.
I like different and I like modern. But Kaler strikes me as a name that wouldn’t wear well in reality.
I would recommend NOT spelling it Calor (as it means ‘hot’ in Portuguese).
Overall, I’m not a big fan of this name.
SO trendy. SOOOOOO trendy.
I don’t like it. It reminds me of Kal-El (Superman).
Kaler is not my style, but I would definitely think boy if I heard it. I know a Kyler, a Kael and a Kale, all boys.
Don’t like it. At. All.