User comments for Caleb

Also meaning "bold; intrepid; impetuous".

This name is Hebrew, and in Hebrew there are no vowels. However, with different vowels between the consonants, this name means different things. Celeb would mean dog, but Caleb means bold or courageous. I talked to a Hebrew scholar about this and that is what he said.

I've also researched this name and found the meanings "bold, courageous, impetuous." This is more befitting the Biblical character than "dog," in my opinion. My second son is named Caleb and happens to exhibit those traits.

In a baby name book I have, it says Caleb means bold & faithful.

In Hebrew the name is "Kalev" that means "like the heart" and not "kelev" which means a dog.

Exactly, the name Caleb derived from Kalev which means 'like the heart' and certainly not kelev which means a dog, and it doesn't mean any of these: bold, courageous, impetuous, people are mistaken for thinking that.

In Hebrew, "dog" is KELEV.

KELEV
KALEB

I think the difference is big enough. They're not really the same at all.

The name Caleb does not come from the Hebrew word for dog. Dog in Hebrew is Kelev, and the name Caleb in Hebrew is Calev (CA-lev). Although they are written almost the same, and consist of the 3 basic letters (root letters), Caleb comes from the Hebrew word for Cage, "Cloov". In the Bible Dictionary it is said the "Caleb" means "trapper". I'd say it makes more sense.

Yes the direct translation of Caleb is dog but it also means faithful, just like dogs, faithful.

Caleb is pronounced as "Colev" in Hebrew meaning "Whole-Hearted" or "Faithful" Caleb is actually a compound word in Hebrew - something that is quite common in ancient Hebrew.
Col (Cuf + Lamed) = all or whole. Lev (Lamed + Vet) = heart.
Many name books / websites list the meaning of Caleb as "Dog". "Dog" in Hebrew is Celev, not Caleb:.

In Arabic "Kalb" (written as "كلب", pronounced "Kə-ləb") means "dog". In Arabic "Qalb" (written as "قلب‎", pronounced "Qə-ləb") means "heart".

Caleb is referred to in the Qur’ān and recoginised by Muslims as one of the believing spies similar to Christian belief.

One usage of this name or word (kaf-lamed-bet in Hebrew) is found in Deuteronomy 23:18 in connection with verse 17. According to Koehler & Baumgartner's Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, one meaning of the word is "(ritual) paederaste," or, prepubescent sexual abuse of boys as catamites.

Moses, at 120 years old, on the east side of the River Jordan, prior to the crossing over of the children of Israel into the Promised Land, warned that Israelites must not imitate the pagan practices of the Canaanites. It was common for some young pagan children to become male/female temple prostitutes.

Hello! As a third culture person speaking fluent Hebrew I would like to point some things out:

Things this name does not mean at all:
'dog' 'courageous' 'faithful' 'cage/trapper' 'bold'

Things this name DOES mean:

'all heart' - as in, a simplification of a person who wears his heart on his sleeve. It is a fusion of two words כולו לב (kulo lev). The first word relates specifically to a personification of the word 'whole' or 'entire' which means it doesn't simply say 'all' but 'all of a person'. The second word means 'heart'.

The Hebrew word for 'dog'(kelev) כלב is spelled exactly the same as Caleb, but the vowel on the first letter makes a different sound. Thus, both of them are not at all related (kAlev =/= kElev).