Where did the baby name Kalin come from in 1959?

Kalin Twins EP
Kalin Twins EP

The name Kalin first popped up in the U.S. baby name data in the late 1950s:

  • 1961: 6 baby boys named Kalin
  • 1960: 5 baby boys named Kalin
  • 1959: 7 baby boys named Kalin [debut]
  • 1958: unlisted
  • 1957: unlisted

Why?

Because of pop music duo The Kalin Twins — twin brothers Harold “Hal” Kalin and Herbert “Herb” Kalin — who recorded during the late ’50s and early ’60s.

Their catchy song “When” [vid] peaked at #5 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart in August of 1958.

Though today they’re considered a one-hit wonder, a second song, “Forget Me Not,” did reach #12 a few months later.

The brothers didn’t see much chart success after that, but “Kalin” has been a regular on the baby name charts ever since. In fact, its highest usage came in the mid-1990s, around the time of the O.J. Simpson trial, which featured memorable witness Kato Kaelin.

What are your thoughts on the baby name Kalin?

Sources: The Kalin Twins – AllMusic, Kalin Twins – Billboard

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