Fun Facts About the Name Talal
- 738 babies named Talal: U.S. records list 738 babies given the name Talal from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Talal Mean?
Talal (Arabic: طلال, transliterated Ṭalāl) is a masculine name formed from the Arabic root ط-ل-ل (ṭ-l-l), whose basic sense is rain falling gently in drops. The noun ṭall (طَلّ) means "dew" or "light rain," and ṭalāl is the noun form of the same root that the personal name follows. On this literal reading the name means "dew" or "light rain." Classical Arabic also uses ṭalāl for freshness or brightness of face, which is why many speakers gloss the name as "pleasant" or "handsome." That is a customary elaboration of the same root rather than a separate etymology.
Talal Name History & Origins
Talal follows the old Arabic practice of naming a child after a natural noun with a favorable sense. The root word behind it is classical: ṭall appears in the Qur'an (2:265), where a garden that receives only a light rain is used as an image of steady, quiet yield. Related water names in Arabic include Ghayth (rain) and Nadā (dew). Because Arabic keeps the emphatic ط (ṭ) distinct from the plain ت (t), Talal is not related to the Arabic word tilāl (hills), even though the two can sound alike in English. Spellings in Latin script vary - Talal, Talaal, Ṭalāl - reflecting the long ā of the second syllable and the emphatic first consonant.
The name is used throughout the Arabic-speaking world, including the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Iraq, Egypt, and North Africa. Among its best-known modern bearers are Talal bin Abdullah (1909 - 1972), king of Jordan from 1951 until he stepped down for health reasons in 1952 and the father of King Hussein; Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz, a member of the Saudi royal family and a longtime advocate of development aid; Talal Maddah (1940 - 1998), a celebrated Saudi singer; and the anthropologist Talal Asad.
How Popular is the Name Talal?
Talal 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 2014. Its best rank was #3,449 in 2014.
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 | #5,175 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2024 | #4,162 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 2023 | #5,632 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2022 | #6,436 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2021 | #7,515 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2020 | #8,641 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #5,530 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2018 | #4,085 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2017 | #3,876 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2016 | #4,081 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2015 | #4,160 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 2014 | #3,449 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 2013 | #4,047 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 2012 | #4,116 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 2011 | #3,501 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 2010 | #5,016 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2009 | #6,389 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2008 | #5,458 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 2007 | #4,350 | 23 | 0.0011% |
| 2006 | #4,655 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 2005 | #4,610 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2004 | #5,217 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2003 | #5,012 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2002 | #5,680 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2001 | #5,109 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2000 | #4,362 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1999 | #5,614 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1998 | #5,422 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #4,643 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1996 | #3,996 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1995 | #3,826 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1994 | #4,508 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1993 | #3,639 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1992 | #4,302 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1991 | #5,464 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1990 | #5,759 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1989 | #7,797 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #8,360 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #5,092 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1984 | #3,663 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1983 | #3,846 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1982 | #4,546 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #4,907 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1980 | #4,890 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1977 | #5,756 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #4,332 | 7 | 0.0004% |
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 Talal Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You like to control everyone within your influence, to shape things to your own liking. If positive, you develop high spirituality, as you have a God's protection. You are sensitive, affectionate, imaginative and cooperative, spiritually aware and prone to self-sacrifice. You can keep secrets and are a good diplomat. You may have healing and psychic powers. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Talal's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Talal's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.