boys' name ★ peaked 2018

Bilal

Meaning From Arabic بِلَال (bilāl), specially Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,212 Trend ↑ Rising 11%

From Arabic بِلَال (bilāl), specially Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ.

Rank 2025
#1,212
among boys · ↓30 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
167
named Bilal · -5% vs 2024
How common
1 in 10,228
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2018
195 babies
All-time total
5,863
#1,615 all-time among boys
First recorded
1964
in Social Security records

Bilal popularity over time

5,863 babies have been named Bilal since 1964, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.040.080.110.1518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s – – – – – –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – – – – – –
1920s – – – – – –
1930s – – – – – –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s – 18 18 2 – #3,312
1970s – 236 236 24 +1211% #1,292
1980s – 553 553 55 +134% #1,030
1990s – 1,071 1,071 107 +94% #981
2000s 5 1,419 1,424 142 +33% #954
2010s – 1,580 1,580 158 +11% #1,040
2020s (to 2025) – 981 981 164 +3% #1,156

Where Bilal is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 169 0.10 outside top 500
2027 170 0.10 outside top 500
2028 172 0.10 outside top 500
2029 173 0.10 outside top 500
2030 174 0.10 outside top 500

Where Bilal is most popular

Boys named Bilal per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.097 per 1,000. Strongest in Minnesota, New York, and Illinois.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Bilal born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Minnesota 62 0.505 +420%
New York 95 0.219 +126%
Illinois 55 0.215 +121%
Virginia 40 0.211 +117%
Michigan 41 0.200 +106%
Washington 32 0.196 +101%
Ohio 45 0.170 +75%
Maryland 19 0.159 +64%
Pennsylvania 31 0.117 +20%
Missouri 15 0.108 +11%
California 84 0.092 -6%
Texas 67 0.076 -22%
Georgia 19 0.075 -23%
New Jersey 15 0.075 -23%
Massachusetts 7 0.051 -48%
Colorado 5 0.039 -60%
Florida 12 0.025 -74%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Carolina – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Utah – – –
Vermont – – –
Wisconsin – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Bilal

Bilal is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #1,212 in 2025 with 167 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1964, 5,863 American babies have been named Bilal. Its peak came in 2018, when 195 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2010s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Bilal stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Bilal?

The median living Bilal is about 18 years old; half are between 8 and 29. An estimated 5,800 people named Bilal are alive in the United States today.

median 18 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Bilal year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 167 #1,212
2024 – – 175 #1,182
2023 – – 180 #1,156
2022 – – 166 #1,200
2021 – – 152 #1,255
2020 – – 141 #1,288
2019 – – 152 #1,239
2018 – – 195 #1,040
2017 – – 168 #1,132
2016 – – 167 #1,149
2015 – – 151 #1,217
2014 – – 149 #1,225
2013 – – 138 #1,262
2012 – – 155 #1,173
2011 – – 166 #1,109
2010 – – 139 #1,258
2009 – – 147 #1,220
2008 – – 139 #1,253
2007 – – 135 #1,288
2006 – – 124 #1,322
2005 – – 142 #1,139
2004 5 #16,490 149 #1,072
2003 – – 146 #1,060
2002 – – 168 #954
2001 – – 136 #1,060
2000 – – 133 #1,071
1995 – – 103 #1,126
1990 – – 104 #1,037
1985 – – 40 #1,596
1980 – – 63 #1,146
1975 – – 25 #1,891
1970 – – 6 #4,279
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – – –
1925 – – – –
1920 – – – –
1915 – – – –
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Bilal

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Bilal ibn Rabah Bilal ibn Rabah Companion of Prophet Muhammad and first Islamic mu'azzin (c. 580–640) Medieval
  2. 2 Bilal Ag Acherif Bilal Ag Acherif Tuareg military leader (born 1977) Contemporary
  3. 3 Bilal Hassani Bilal Hassani French singer b. 1999 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Bilal Başaçıkoğlu Bilal Başaçıkoğlu Turkish footballer (born 1995) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Bilal, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Bilal?

The median living Bilal is about 18 years old. Half of all living Bilals are between 8 and 29 years old.

How many people named Bilal are alive today?

An estimated 5,800 people named Bilal are alive in the United States, based on 5,863 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Bilal mean?

From Arabic بِلَال (bilāl), specially Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ.

How popular is the name Bilal in 2025?

Bilal ranked #1,212 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 167 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Bilal?

5,863 babies have been named Bilal in the United States since 1964, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Bilal most popular?

Bilal peaked in 2018, when 195 newborns received the name.

Is Bilal a boy or girl name?

Bilal is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Bilal rising or falling?

Bilal is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Bilal become more popular?

Bilal looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 174 boys named Bilal in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Bilal?

Well-known people named Bilal include Bilal ibn Rabah (religious figure), Bilal Ag Acherif (politician), Bilal Hassani (singer).

Names like Bilal

Names that sound and feel close to Bilal: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Bilal with similar names → More names starting with B →