Kal

Kal is a short name that can come from longer forms such as Kaleb or Kalman, so it does not have one meaning shared by every bearer. Its history depends on which name a family is shortening. The same three letters can also be chosen independently for their sound, much as other familiar nicknames have become full first names.

A separate cultural association is Kal-El, Superman's Kryptonian name in DC's stories. Families who choose Kal with that connection in mind are drawing on fiction rather than an ancient language derivation. Cal is the closest spelling to compare, while using a longer family name on formal documents would make a particular inherited connection more apparent. Kal itself keeps the everyday form brief and leaves room for a family to explain its own story.