Hal
Medieval English pet form of Henry, whose Germanic parts mean home and ruler; Shakespeare gave it to the young Prince Hal.
Hal in 2025
Hal was given to 38 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 6,764th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 87,246 babies born.
The history of Hal
Hal reached its highest point in 1956, when 598 babies were given the name, ranking 657th that year.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 16,796 babies have been named Hal. Half of them were born before 1951, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Hal by decade
| Decade | Babies named Hal | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 178 | 688 |
| 1890s | 211 | 890 |
| 1900s | 229 | 1,069 |
| 1910s | 1,073 | 940 |
| 1920s | 1,846 | 883 |
| 1930s | 1,810 | 819 |
| 1940s | 2,614 | 731 |
| 1950s | 4,423 | 657 |
| 1960s | 2,199 | 865 |
| 1970s | 889 | 1,684 |
| 1980s | 531 | 2,529 |
| 1990s | 263 | 4,848 |
| 2000s | 156 | 8,060 |
| 2010s | 184 | 7,901 |
| 2020s | 190 | 6,505 |
Where Hal is heading
Hal has risen 90% over the past decade, from 20 babies in 2015 to 38 in 2025.
Names like Hal
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Hal.