Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1956

Hal

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #3,151 Trend ↑ Rising 35%

A diminutive lambdacism of Harry (compare Sally from Sarah and Moll from Mary).

Rank 2025
#3,151
among boys · ↑330 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
38
named Hal · +15% vs 2024
How common
1 in 44,949
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1956
598 babies
All-time total
16,796
#911 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Hal popularity over time

16,796 babies have been named Hal since 1880, 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
0.080.150.230.318801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
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 – 178 178 18 – #344
1890s – 211 211 21 +19% #353
1900s – 229 229 23 +9% #406
1910s – 1,073 1,073 107 +369% #442
1920s 12 1,834 1,846 185 +72% #423
1930s – 1,810 1,810 181 -2% #383
1940s – 2,614 2,614 261 +44% #334
1950s – 4,423 4,423 442 +69% #305
1960s – 2,199 2,199 220 -50% #394
1970s – 889 889 89 -60% #734
1980s – 531 531 53 -40% #1,051
1990s – 263 263 26 -50% #1,994
2000s – 156 156 16 -41% #3,473
2010s – 184 184 18 +18% #3,643
2020s (to 2025) – 190 190 32 +72% #3,023

Where Hal 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 40 0.02 outside top 500
2027 41 0.02 outside top 500
2028 43 0.03 outside top 500
2029 44 0.03 outside top 500
2030 45 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Hal

Hal is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,151 in 2025 with 38 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 16,796 American babies have been named Hal. Its peak came in 1956, when 598 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1950s.

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 Hal stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Hal?

The median living Hal is about 67 years old; half are between 57 and 73. An estimated 8,800 people named Hal are alive in the United States today.

median 67 020406080100

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

Hal 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 – – 38 #3,151
2024 – – 33 #3,481
2023 – – 41 #3,023
2022 – – 15 #5,968
2021 – – 30 #3,680
2020 – – 33 #3,365
2019 – – 21 #4,687
2018 – – 30 #3,643
2017 – – 16 #5,620
2016 – – 15 #5,885
2015 – – 20 #4,777
2014 – – 22 #4,438
2013 – – 16 #5,479
2012 – – 19 #4,920
2011 – – 15 #5,769
2010 – – 10 #7,783
2009 – – 12 #6,960
2008 – – 9 #8,537
2007 – – 15 #5,747
2006 – – 14 #5,887
2005 – – 8 #8,564
2004 – – 9 #7,756
2003 – – 26 #3,473
2002 – – 22 #3,840
2001 – – 18 #4,353
2000 – – 23 #3,571
1995 – – 20 #3,358
1990 – – 31 #2,275
1985 – – 59 #1,247
1980 – – 74 #1,051
1975 – – 79 #924
1970 – – 125 #734
1965 – – 199 #544
1960 – – 403 #394
1955 – – 455 #342
1950 – – 371 #348
1945 – – 211 #414
1940 – – 196 #414
1935 – – 201 #383
1930 – – 153 #481
1925 – – 191 #431
1920 – – 193 #435
1915 – – 152 #442
1910 – – 31 #504
1905 – – 20 #512
1900 – – 25 #459
1895 – – 20 #446
1890 – – 21 #397
1885 – – 15 #490
1880 – – 7 #773

Famous people named Hal

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

  1. 1 Hal Holbrook Hal Holbrook American actor (1925–2021) Contemporary
  2. 2 Hal Moore Hal Moore United States Army general (1922–2017) Contemporary
  3. 3 Hal Smith Hal Smith American actor (1916–1994) Contemporary
  4. 4 Hal Sparks Hal Sparks American actor (born 1969) Contemporary
  5. 5 Hal Ashby Hal Ashby American film director and editor (1929–1988) Contemporary
  6. 6 Hal Roach Hal Roach American filmmaker (1892–1992) 19th century
  7. 7 Hal Blaine Hal Blaine American drummer (1929–2019) Contemporary
  8. 8 Hal Needham Hal Needham American stunt performer and film director (1931–2013) Contemporary
  9. 9 Hal David Hal David American lyricist (1921–2012) Contemporary
  10. 10 Hal Hartley Hal Hartley American film director and screenwriter (born 1959) Contemporary
  11. 11 Hal B. Wallis Hal B. Wallis American film producer (1898-1986) 19th century
  12. 12 Hal Robson-Kanu Hal Robson-Kanu Wales international footballer (born 1989) Contemporary
  13. 13 Hal Greer Hal Greer American basketball player (1936–2018) Contemporary
  14. 14 Hal Foster Hal Foster Canadian-American illustrator (1892–1982) 19th century
  15. 15 Hal Clement Hal Clement American author and artist (1922–2003) Contemporary
  16. 16 Hal Abelson Hal Abelson American mathematician (born 1947) Contemporary
  17. 17 Hal Connolly Hal Connolly American athlete 1931–2010 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Hal?

The median living Hal is about 67 years old. Half of all living Hals are between 57 and 73 years old.

How many people named Hal are alive today?

An estimated 8,800 people named Hal are alive in the United States, based on 16,796 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Hal mean?

A diminutive lambdacism of Harry (compare Sally from Sarah and Moll from Mary).

How popular is the name Hal in 2025?

Hal ranked #3,151 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 38 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Hal?

16,796 babies have been named Hal in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Hal most popular?

Hal peaked in 1956, when 598 newborns received the name.

Is Hal a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Hal rising or falling?

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

Will Hal become more popular?

Hal is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 45 boys named Hal in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Hal?

Well-known people named Hal include Hal Holbrook (actor), Hal Moore (military personnel), Hal Smith (actor).

Names like Hal

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

Compare Hal with similar names → More names starting with H →