Fun Facts About the Name Mishal
- 245 babies named Mishal: U.S. records list 245 babies given the name Mishal from 1880 through 2025. Even 5 boys received the name Mishal - about 1 boy for every 48 girls.
What Does the Name Mishal Mean?
Mishal is an Arabic given name from the noun mishʿal (مِشْعَل), meaning "torch" or "lantern." The word is formed from the root sh-ʿ-l (ش-ع-ل), which has to do with kindling, igniting, and burning; the mifʿal pattern makes it an instrument noun, so its literal sense is something like "that which gives light" or "lighting device." The customary English meaning is the concrete object - a torch or lantern - rather than an abstract word for light.
The English spelling also matches a Hebrew place name, Mishal (מִשְׁאָל), traditionally explained as "entreaty" from the root sh-ʾ-l, "to ask." That Hebrew word is unrelated to the Arabic personal name and is not its source.
Mishal Name History & Origins
Mishal comes from ordinary Arabic vocabulary: the name uses the everyday noun for a torch or lantern. In Arabic script it is written مشعل, a spelling that does not mark gender; it is used for both men and women in Arabic-speaking countries, and it is familiar in the Gulf. Transliteration into English varies, giving forms such as Mishaal, Meshal, and Mishʿal, depending on how the Arabic letters and the ʿayn are represented.
The name is also used by Muslims in South Asia and in diaspora communities, where it is generally understood through its Arabic meaning. It is not a religious name in origin, and its use in different countries reflects Arabic naming practice and local transliteration habits.
How Popular is the Name Mishal?
Mishal has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2008. Its best rank was #8,115 in 1988.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12,762 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #11,775 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2023 | #10,882 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 2022 | #16,957 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #16,890 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2020 | #10,032 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2019 | #8,944 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2018 | #12,138 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2017 | #11,324 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #10,614 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2015 | #9,944 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2014 | #11,639 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2013 | #15,930 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #13,071 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2011 | #14,352 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #14,489 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2009 | #16,610 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #8,830 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2007 | #13,516 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #12,110 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2005 | #12,646 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2004 | #11,332 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2003 | #8,890 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2002 | #8,152 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2001 | #17,092 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #15,784 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #14,974 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1993 | #14,982 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #14,742 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #14,623 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | #8,115 | 5 | 0.0003% |
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.
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How the Name Mishal Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are intuitive and might be interested in the arts, drama or science.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Mishal's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Mishal's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.