Caleb

Caleb is a Hebrew name, most likely derived from the root kelev, meaning dog, though some scholars connect it to a phrase meaning whole-hearted or devoted to God. In the Hebrew Bible, Caleb is one of the twelve spies sent by Moses into Canaan, and one of only two spies who returned with a faithful report, earning him the right to enter the Promised Land. The name was taken up enthusiastically by Puritan settlers in the seventeenth century and has remained consistently popular in English-speaking countries. Related forms include the Spanish and Portuguese Caleb, and the name shares its root with the Arabic cognate Kalb.