DeKalb is the accepted spelling of this name. The name DeKalb originates from Baron Johann De Kalb, the French army officer, who as it turns out, was neither French nor a Baron. The son of a German peasant, De Kalb left home at the age of sixteen to become a French soldier of fortune. There he found that only noblemen could become officers, so he gave himself the title of "baron". De Kalb was one of several foreign soldiers to offer their services gallantly in the Battle of Camden, S.C. on August 16, 1780 and died there after being wounded eleven times. He was the only general in the American Revolution to die on the battlefield, fighting next to the average foot soldier. Six counties in the United States are named for De Kalb, making it the third most popular name for counties in the nation. Happy Holidays to all.