Khalil

Khalil - A very unique male name

Khalil appeared on the charts for the first time in 1968 on position #1512. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Khalil and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Khalil? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Khalil. The baby boy name Khalil was given to 803 baby boys in 2025, ranking #380 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 1,826 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Khalil peaked in popularity 31 years ago in 1995 on position 253.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Khalil, 1-5?

Khalil is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Khalil is currently topping the baby name charts in District of Columbia at position #89 - and is the least popular in Minnesota at position #875.

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 Khalil is where you live.

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Khalil origin and meaning

Arabic

'Friend, intimate companion' — most famously al-Khalil, 'the Friend (of God),' a title of Abraham

Khalil is an Arabic name from the root for a close, chosen friend, honoured in Islam as the title of the prophet Abraham, Khalil Allah. Poet Khalil Gibran brought it into English awareness. US use peaked in 2020 and has fallen since.

Attested etymology

Khalil is a 6 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Khalil, pop culture references for the name Khalil and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Khalil

We've found the following names that sound similar to Khalil, sorted by popularity.

Kyle / Kelly / Kole / Kale / Kylo / Kalel / Kahlil / Kael / Kelley / Kaleo /

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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)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Khalil

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 Khalil 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 Khalil?

2 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.

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Pronunciation

kuh-LEEL · /kəˈliːl/

Around the world

• Khalil (Arabic) — The source form
• Halil (Turkish) — The Turkish form

Spellings and nicknames

• Kalil — Simplified transliteration
• Khaleel — Transliteration with -ee-

Famous bearers

• Khalil Gibran — Lebanese-American poet and author of The Prophet (1883–1931) Historical

Style

InternationalBiblical

Why parents choose it

A name of real warmth — its meaning is friendship itself — with literary standing through Gibran.

Worth knowing

• Transliteration varies (Kalil, Khaleel), and English speakers may say KAY-lil.