Fun Facts About the Name Hal
- More than 16 thousand babies named Hal: U.S. records list 16,796 babies given the name Hal from 1880 through 2025. Even 12 girls received the name Hal - about 1 girl for every 1,399 boys.
What Does the Name Hal Mean?
Hal is an English masculine name used mainly as a short form of Henry or Harold. Its meaning depends on the longer name: from Henry it means "home ruler," and from Harold it means "army ruler." Henry comes from the Germanic name Haimirich, formed from haim "home" and ric "ruler, power." It passed into medieval Latin as Henricus and Old French as Henri. The English spoken form Harry developed from Henry, and Hal is a familiar form of Harry, with l replacing r. Harold comes from Old English Hereweald, from here "army" and weald "ruler, power"; its Old Norse cognate Haraldr also shaped the name. Hal is not an ancient name with its own separate root; it is a nickname form whose sense comes from the name it shortens.
Hal Name History & Origins
Hal appeared in medieval England as a pet form of Harry, the everyday form of Henry. Henry was common in England after the Norman Conquest, and its shortened forms, including Harry and Hal, are found in Middle English use. The name was also used as a short form of Harold, especially in modern English. The best-known literary Hal is Prince Hal in William Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2, where the character's formal name is Henry. That use made the nickname widely known in literature, but it did not create the name. By the 19th and 20th centuries, Hal was also given as a standalone name in English-speaking countries, not only as a nickname for Henry or Harold.
How Popular is the Name Hal?
Hal recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1956. Its best rank was #305 in 1956.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1926 | #4,526 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1924 | #4,705 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,151 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 2024 | #3,471 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 2023 | #3,018 | 41 | 0.0024% |
| 2022 | #5,961 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2021 | #3,678 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 2020 | #3,361 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 2019 | #4,686 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2018 | #3,642 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 2017 | #5,620 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2016 | #5,882 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2015 | #4,776 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 2014 | #4,437 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2013 | #5,478 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2012 | #4,919 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2011 | #5,767 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2010 | #7,783 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2009 | #6,958 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2008 | #8,537 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 2007 | #5,747 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 2006 | #5,887 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2005 | #8,564 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #7,754 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2003 | #3,473 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 2002 | #3,840 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2001 | #4,353 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2000 | #3,571 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1999 | #4,860 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1998 | #3,535 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1997 | #2,927 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 1996 | #3,150 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1995 | #3,358 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1994 | #3,155 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1993 | #2,178 | 36 | 0.0018% |
| 1992 | #2,327 | 32 | 0.0016% |
| 1991 | #1,993 | 38 | 0.0019% |
| 1990 | #2,275 | 31 | 0.0015% |
| 1989 | #1,774 | 43 | 0.0021% |
| 1988 | #1,411 | 55 | 0.0029% |
| 1987 | #1,912 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 1986 | #1,176 | 65 | 0.0035% |
| 1985 | #1,247 | 59 | 0.0032% |
| 1984 | #1,512 | 41 | 0.0023% |
| 1983 | #1,281 | 52 | 0.0029% |
| 1982 | #1,281 | 53 | 0.0029% |
| 1981 | #1,229 | 56 | 0.0031% |
| 1980 | #1,051 | 74 | 0.0041% |
| 1979 | #1,036 | 73 | 0.0042% |
| 1978 | #1,092 | 64 | 0.0039% |
| 1977 | #1,130 | 59 | 0.0036% |
| 1976 | #1,007 | 68 | 0.0043% |
| 1975 | #924 | 79 | 0.0051% |
| 1974 | #873 | 85 | 0.0054% |
| 1973 | #802 | 97 | 0.0062% |
| 1972 | #737 | 115 | 0.0071% |
| 1971 | #740 | 124 | 0.0070% |
| 1970 | #734 | 125 | 0.0067% |
| 1969 | #764 | 105 | 0.0059% |
| 1968 | #671 | 125 | 0.0072% |
| 1967 | #612 | 151 | 0.0087% |
| 1966 | #583 | 169 | 0.0095% |
| 1965 | #544 | 199 | 0.0107% |
| 1964 | #559 | 199 | 0.0100% |
| 1963 | #478 | 278 | 0.0137% |
| 1962 | #528 | 228 | 0.0110% |
| 1961 | #429 | 342 | 0.0161% |
| 1960 | #394 | 403 | 0.0189% |
| 1959 | #387 | 418 | 0.0196% |
| 1958 | #360 | 455 | 0.0214% |
| 1957 | #333 | 526 | 0.0244% |
| 1956 | #305 | 598 | 0.0283% |
| 1955 | #342 | 455 | 0.0221% |
| 1954 | #351 | 416 | 0.0204% |
| 1953 | #344 | 405 | 0.0205% |
| 1952 | #347 | 392 | 0.0202% |
| 1951 | #347 | 387 | 0.0206% |
| 1950 | #349 | 370 | 0.0207% |
| 1949 | #334 | 406 | 0.0229% |
| 1948 | #354 | 358 | 0.0204% |
| 1947 | #358 | 361 | 0.0197% |
| 1946 | #396 | 264 | 0.0163% |
| 1945 | #414 | 211 | 0.0157% |
| 1944 | #413 | 213 | 0.0156% |
| 1943 | #433 | 208 | 0.0146% |
| 1942 | #432 | 204 | 0.0148% |
| 1941 | #419 | 194 | 0.0158% |
| 1940 | #414 | 196 | 0.0169% |
| 1939 | #401 | 202 | 0.0183% |
| 1938 | #456 | 162 | 0.0146% |
| 1937 | #411 | 191 | 0.0179% |
| 1936 | #464 | 148 | 0.0143% |
| 1935 | #383 | 201 | 0.0193% |
| 1934 | #383 | 205 | 0.0199% |
| 1933 | #396 | 188 | 0.0190% |
| 1932 | #404 | 194 | 0.0186% |
| 1931 | #440 | 166 | 0.0160% |
| 1930 | #481 | 153 | 0.0139% |
| 1929 | #423 | 194 | 0.0180% |
| 1928 | #429 | 193 | 0.0174% |
| 1927 | #444 | 190 | 0.0169% |
| 1926 | #449 | 184 | 0.0166% |
| 1925 | #431 | 191 | 0.0171% |
| 1924 | #453 | 182 | 0.0161% |
| 1923 | #482 | 159 | 0.0145% |
| 1922 | #470 | 171 | 0.0157% |
| 1921 | #463 | 177 | 0.0161% |
| 1920 | #435 | 193 | 0.0181% |
| 1919 | #470 | 161 | 0.0164% |
| 1918 | #453 | 172 | 0.0170% |
| 1917 | #516 | 125 | 0.0135% |
| 1916 | #495 | 133 | 0.0149% |
| 1915 | #442 | 152 | 0.0179% |
| 1914 | #448 | 115 | 0.0176% |
| 1913 | #484 | 81 | 0.0158% |
| 1912 | #507 | 60 | 0.0140% |
| 1911 | #448 | 43 | 0.0190% |
| 1910 | #504 | 31 | 0.0160% |
| 1909 | #536 | 24 | 0.0146% |
| 1908 | #600 | 19 | 0.0123% |
| 1907 | #420 | 30 | 0.0204% |
| 1906 | #467 | 23 | 0.0173% |
| 1905 | #512 | 20 | 0.0151% |
| 1904 | #472 | 21 | 0.0164% |
| 1903 | #419 | 23 | 0.0193% |
| 1902 | #406 | 25 | 0.0204% |
| 1901 | #440 | 19 | 0.0178% |
| 1900 | #459 | 25 | 0.0166% |
| 1899 | #419 | 20 | 0.0188% |
| 1898 | #368 | 28 | 0.0228% |
| 1897 | #427 | 20 | 0.0177% |
| 1896 | #472 | 19 | 0.0159% |
| 1895 | #446 | 20 | 0.0170% |
| 1894 | #391 | 23 | 0.0199% |
| 1893 | #353 | 26 | 0.0231% |
| 1892 | #487 | 17 | 0.0139% |
| 1891 | #434 | 17 | 0.0168% |
| 1890 | #397 | 21 | 0.0189% |
| 1889 | #564 | 12 | 0.0109% |
| 1888 | #422 | 20 | 0.0165% |
| 1887 | #344 | 23 | 0.0227% |
| 1886 | #420 | 18 | 0.0162% |
| 1885 | #490 | 15 | 0.0139% |
| 1884 | #354 | 25 | 0.0218% |
| 1883 | #387 | 20 | 0.0191% |
| 1882 | #347 | 26 | 0.0229% |
| 1881 | #516 | 12 | 0.0119% |
| 1880 | #773 | 7 | 0.0063% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Hal
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How the Name Hal Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You attract success and money. You are a lover of nature and do not need others for your happiness. You are self sufficient. You strive for material success and power and have business sense. You possess strong organizational abilities, can be a good manager, and executive by nature. You are capable of great achievement in business and finance. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Hal's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Hal's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.