Hal - A very unique male name
Hal at a glance
Hal is ranked #3033 among boy baby names in 2025, with 11 births in 2025. It peaked in 1956 at #304 and first appeared on the charts in 1911.
- Rank in 2025
- #3033
- Births in 2025
- 11
- Peak year
- 1956 (#304)
- First appeared
- 1911
- Trend
- #3815 in 2020 → #3033 in 2025 (Rising)
- Popularity
- 1 in 133,299 boys
- Visitor rating
- 2.2/5 (6 recent votes)
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration · Data through 2025 · Updated 2026
With that position 1 in 133,299 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Hal peaked in popularity 70 years ago in 1956 on position 304.
Famous with this name
Hal Holbrook
Hal Baylor
Hal Williams
How would you rate Hal, 1-5?
Hal is currently topping the charts in...
Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Hal is currently topping the baby name charts in Utah at position #648 - and is the least popular in California at position #2,594.Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Hal is where you live.
Comment and discuss
Hal origin and meaning
English — short form of Harry and Harold
Traditional short form of Harry and Harold; Harold is from Old English for 'army ruler'
Hal is one of the oldest English nickname names — Shakespeare's Prince Hal grew up to be Henry V. As a registered given name it peaked in 1956 and has since become rare, though its ranking has recently improved from a low base.
Attested etymology
Hal is a 3 letter name with 1 syllables.
To see famous people named Hal, pop culture references for the name Hal and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.Similar to Hal
We've found the following names that sound similar to Hal, sorted by popularity.
Howell / Hillel / Halo / Hoyle / Hollie / Hallie / Haley / Holly / Helio / Hall /Name statistics
Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better
understanding of how popular or unique this name is.
With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually
differ a lot from state to state.
Chart position per year (visualized)
Chart position per state (visualized)
Chart position per year (table view)
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 3033 |
| 2023 | 4024 |
| 2021 | 3914 |
| 2020 | 3815 |
| 2015 | 4013 |
| 2003 | 3695 |
| 1993 | 3297 |
| 1991 | 2626 |
| 1990 | 2817 |
| 1989 | 1691 |
| 1988 | 1906 |
| 1986 | 1341 |
| 1985 | 1518 |
| 1984 | 2376 |
| 1983 | 2358 |
| 1982 | 2099 |
| 1981 | 1398 |
| 1980 | 1125 |
| 1979 | 2189 |
| 1978 | 1288 |
| 1977 | 1289 |
| 1976 | 1218 |
| 1975 | 1328 |
| 1974 | 950 |
| 1973 | 964 |
| 1972 | 792 |
| 1971 | 742 |
| 1970 | 745 |
| 1969 | 801 |
| 1968 | 668 |
| 1967 | 643 |
| 1966 | 593 |
| 1965 | 557 |
| 1964 | 595 |
| 1963 | 478 |
| 1962 | 530 |
| 1961 | 435 |
| 1960 | 396 |
| 1959 | 391 |
| 1958 | 359 |
| 1957 | 331 |
| 1956 | 304 |
| 1955 | 342 |
| 1954 | 343 |
| 1953 | 338 |
| 1952 | 348 |
| 1951 | 346 |
| 1950 | 352 |
| 1949 | 332 |
| 1948 | 348 |
| 1947 | 361 |
| 1946 | 410 |
| 1945 | 416 |
| 1944 | 402 |
| 1943 | 455 |
| 1942 | 441 |
| 1941 | 438 |
| 1940 | 432 |
| 1939 | 401 |
| 1938 | 458 |
| 1937 | 397 |
| 1936 | 505 |
| 1935 | 395 |
| 1934 | 386 |
| 1933 | 390 |
| 1932 | 405 |
| 1931 | 455 |
| 1930 | 480 |
| 1929 | 429 |
| 1928 | 443 |
| 1927 | 448 |
| 1926 | 448 |
| 1925 | 445 |
| 1924 | 460 |
| 1923 | 496 |
| 1922 | 464 |
| 1921 | 487 |
| 1920 | 437 |
| 1919 | 465 |
| 1918 | 454 |
| 1917 | 555 |
| 1916 | 524 |
| 1915 | 442 |
| 1914 | 455 |
| 1913 | 529 |
| 1912 | 637 |
| 1911 | 428 |
Chart position per state (table view)
| State | Rank |
|---|---|
| Utah | 648 |
| California | 2594 |
Even more about Hal
These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.
Is Hal a common or unique name?
By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.What is the number of syllables for the name Hal?
1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.Pronunciation
HAL · /hæl/
Around the world
No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.
Spellings and nicknames
Nicknames: Harry
Famous bearers
- Hal Holbrook — American actor famed for his one-man show Mark Twain Tonight! (1925–2021) Contemporary
- Hal Prince — American theatre producer and director behind many landmark Broadway musicals (1928–2019) Contemporary
Style
Nickname nameShort formLiterary
Why parents choose it
Hal offers a short, sturdy, literary option with real history behind it. It feels unfussy and a little theatrical at once.
Worth knowing
- People may assume the full name is Harold, Henry or even the computer from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
