Fun Facts About the Name Pal
- 202 babies named Pal: U.S. records list 202 babies given the name Pal from 1880 through 2025. Even 15 girls received the name Pal - about 1 girl for every 12 boys.
What Does the Name Pal Mean?
Pal is mainly the Hungarian and Scandinavian form of Paul, from Latin Paulus. That Latin name was a Roman cognomen, a family nickname, built on the adjective paulus, "small" or "little," so its literal sense is "small." The meaning usually given in name books, "humble," is a customary reading of that same "small" rather than a separate etymology. Hungarian writes the name Pál, Norwegian and Swedish write Pål, and the unaccented spelling Pal is the same name with the diacritic dropped.
A second, unrelated Pal belongs to South Asia. Bengali and other Indian Pal comes from Sanskrit pāla, "protector" or "guardian," a word used in royal titles and in the name of the Pala dynasty of Bengal, founded by Gopāla in the eighth century. In that tradition the name means "protector."
The English word pal, "friend," is a third and separate matter. It was borrowed into English from Romani, where pal (also phral) means "brother." It has no connection to Paul and appears only occasionally as a nickname.
Pal Name History & Origins
The Latin name Paulus spread across Europe largely through the veneration of Saint Paul the Apostle, whose Jewish name was Saul and who is called Paulos in the Greek of the New Testament. As Christianity took hold, Paul and its local forms became common from Ireland to Scandinavia and the Slavic lands. The Hungarian form Pál is recorded from the Middle Ages. Hungarian calendars place the name day on June 29, with Saint Peter, and on January 25, the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul; the January date gave Hungarian folk speech the saying Pál fordulása, "the turning of Paul," used of a change in the weather. Bearers of the name include Pál Kinizsi, the fifteenth-century general of King Matthias Corvinus, and, in the twentieth century, the prime minister Pál Teleki and the 1956 defense minister Pál Maléter.
In Norway and Sweden the name arrived with Christianity as Old Norse Páll, taken from Latin or Old English. Norwegian Pål and Swedish Pål continue that form. Because Hungarian and Norwegian both mark the vowel with an accent, the spelling Pal in English-language use is usually an anglicized rendering of Pál or Pål.
Pal in South Asia has its own history, running through Sanskrit pāla and the Pala dynasty of Bengal rather than through Paul. There it is common as a surname and is also used as a personal name.
How Popular is the Name Pal?
Pal 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 1961. Its best rank was #2,507 in 1961.
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 | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | #17,028 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #18,868 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2007 | #19,783 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #13,516 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #12,087 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #6,731 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #4,386 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1985 | #5,031 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1983 | #5,324 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1982 | #4,884 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1981 | #3,557 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1980 | #5,353 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1979 | #5,864 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1976 | #5,427 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1972 | #4,820 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1969 | #4,286 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1965 | #3,821 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #3,221 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1963 | #4,470 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1961 | #2,507 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1957 | #3,475 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1956 | #3,833 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1955 | #3,143 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1939 | #3,393 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1934 | #2,519 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1932 | #3,673 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1926 | #4,668 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1924 | #4,808 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1921 | #4,813 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1917 | #4,430 | 5 | 0.0005% |
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.
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with P
Short Boy Names That Start with P
How the Name Pal Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a power of expression, either in speaking or writing. You are in favor for studying and research. You are clever, clear-sighted and intellectual. You don't like to let others know your true feelings. You might be atheistic or agnostic. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Pal's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Pal's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.