Hal
Hal was given to 38 boys in 2025, #3,150 among boys’ names; 16,796 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 8,170 Americans named Hal and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (49% of everyone recorded); the median is 67 years old and half are between 56 and 74.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Hal by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Hal mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Hal is “a diminutive of the male given names Henry, Harold and Harry.”
A diminutive lambdacism of Harry (compare Sally from Sarah and Moll from Mary).
/hæl/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Hal?
#3,150 among boys’ names, 2025
Hal rose from #4,775 in 2015 to #3,150 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 10.4 to 22.2 per million.
598 babies in 1956, the peak
Hal peaked in 1956, when 598 boys were given it, #305 among boys’ names. The 38 births of 2025 are 6% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 38 | #3,150 | 0.02 |
| 2024 | 33 | #3,479 | 0.02 |
| 2023 | 41 | #3,021 | 0.02 |
| 2022 | 15 | #5,964 | 0.01 |
| 2021 | 30 | #3,676 | 0.02 |
| 2020 | 33 | #3,363 | 0.02 |
| 2019 | 21 | #4,683 | 0.01 |
| 2018 | 30 | #3,639 | 0.02 |
| 2017 | 16 | #5,616 | 0.01 |
| 2016 | 15 | #5,881 | 0.01 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 20 | #4,775 | 0.01 |
| 2014 | 22 | #4,434 | 0.01 |
| 2013 | 16 | #5,475 | 0.01 |
| 2012 | 19 | #4,915 | 0.01 |
| 2011 | 15 | #5,764 | 0.01 |
| 2010 | 10 | #7,777 | 0.01 |
| 2009 | 12 | #6,955 | 0.01 |
| 2008 | 9 | #8,532 | under 0.01 |
| 2007 | 15 | #5,744 | 0.01 |
| 2006 | 14 | #5,883 | 0.01 |
| 2005 | 8 | #8,557 | under 0.01 |
| 2004 | 9 | #7,750 | under 0.01 |
| 2003 | 26 | #3,468 | 0.01 |
| 2002 | 22 | #3,835 | 0.01 |
| 2001 | 18 | #4,347 | 0.01 |
| 2000 | 23 | #3,565 | 0.01 |
| 1999 | 14 | #4,854 | 0.01 |
| 1998 | 21 | #3,531 | 0.01 |
| 1997 | 26 | #2,923 | 0.01 |
| 1996 | 23 | #3,145 | 0.01 |
| 1995 | 20 | #3,352 | 0.01 |
| 1994 | 22 | #3,150 | 0.01 |
| 1993 | 36 | #2,173 | 0.02 |
| 1992 | 32 | #2,322 | 0.02 |
| 1991 | 38 | #1,988 | 0.02 |
| 1990 | 31 | #2,270 | 0.02 |
| 1989 | 43 | #1,769 | 0.02 |
| 1988 | 55 | #1,406 | 0.03 |
| 1987 | 33 | #1,908 | 0.02 |
| 1986 | 65 | #1,175 | 0.04 |
| 1985 | 59 | #1,246 | 0.03 |
| 1984 | 41 | #1,511 | 0.02 |
| 1983 | 52 | #1,280 | 0.03 |
| 1982 | 53 | #1,281 | 0.03 |
| 1981 | 56 | #1,229 | 0.03 |
| 1980 | 74 | #1,051 | 0.04 |
| 1979 | 73 | #1,036 | 0.04 |
| 1978 | 64 | #1,091 | 0.04 |
| 1977 | 59 | #1,130 | 0.04 |
| 1976 | 68 | #1,007 | 0.04 |
| 1975 | 79 | #924 | 0.05 |
| 1974 | 85 | #873 | 0.05 |
| 1973 | 97 | #802 | 0.06 |
| 1972 | 115 | #737 | 0.07 |
| 1971 | 124 | #740 | 0.07 |
| 1970 | 125 | #734 | 0.07 |
| 1969 | 105 | #763 | 0.06 |
| 1968 | 125 | #671 | 0.07 |
| 1967 | 151 | #612 | 0.09 |
| 1966 | 169 | #583 | 0.09 |
| 1965 | 199 | #544 | 0.11 |
| 1964 | 199 | #558 | 0.10 |
| 1963 | 278 | #478 | 0.14 |
| 1962 | 228 | #528 | 0.11 |
| 1961 | 342 | #429 | 0.16 |
| 1960 | 403 | #394 | 0.19 |
| 1959 | 418 | #387 | 0.20 |
| 1958 | 455 | #360 | 0.21 |
| 1957 | 526 | #333 | 0.24 |
| 1956 | 598 | #305 | 0.28 |
| 1955 | 455 | #341 | 0.22 |
| 1954 | 416 | #350 | 0.20 |
| 1953 | 405 | #343 | 0.21 |
| 1952 | 392 | #346 | 0.20 |
| 1951 | 387 | #346 | 0.21 |
| 1950 | 371 | #347 | 0.21 |
| 1949 | 405 | #334 | 0.23 |
| 1948 | 358 | #354 | 0.20 |
| 1947 | 361 | #358 | 0.20 |
| 1946 | 264 | #396 | 0.16 |
| 1945 | 211 | #414 | 0.16 |
| 1944 | 213 | #413 | 0.16 |
| 1943 | 208 | #433 | 0.15 |
| 1942 | 204 | #432 | 0.15 |
| 1941 | 194 | #419 | 0.16 |
| 1940 | 196 | #414 | 0.17 |
| 1939 | 202 | #401 | 0.18 |
| 1938 | 162 | #456 | 0.15 |
| 1937 | 191 | #411 | 0.18 |
| 1936 | 148 | #464 | 0.14 |
| 1935 | 201 | #383 | 0.19 |
| 1934 | 205 | #383 | 0.20 |
| 1933 | 188 | #396 | 0.19 |
| 1932 | 194 | #404 | 0.19 |
| 1931 | 166 | #440 | 0.16 |
| 1930 | 153 | #481 | 0.14 |
| 1929 | 194 | #423 | 0.18 |
| 1928 | 193 | #429 | 0.17 |
| 1927 | 190 | #444 | 0.17 |
| 1926 | 184 | #449 | 0.17 |
| 1925 | 191 | #431 | 0.17 |
| 1924 | 182 | #453 | 0.16 |
| 1923 | 159 | #482 | 0.15 |
| 1922 | 171 | #470 | 0.16 |
| 1921 | 177 | #463 | 0.16 |
| 1920 | 193 | #435 | 0.18 |
| 1919 | 161 | #470 | 0.16 |
| 1918 | 172 | #453 | 0.17 |
| 1917 | 125 | #516 | 0.14 |
| 1916 | 133 | #495 | 0.15 |
| 1915 | 152 | #442 | 0.18 |
| 1914 | 115 | #448 | 0.18 |
| 1913 | 81 | #484 | 0.16 |
| 1912 | 60 | #507 | 0.14 |
| 1911 | 43 | #448 | 0.19 |
| 1910 | 31 | #504 | 0.16 |
| 1909 | 24 | #536 | 0.15 |
| 1908 | 19 | #600 | 0.12 |
| 1907 | 30 | #420 | 0.20 |
| 1906 | 23 | #467 | 0.17 |
| 1905 | 20 | #512 | 0.15 |
| 1904 | 21 | #472 | 0.16 |
| 1903 | 23 | #419 | 0.19 |
| 1902 | 25 | #406 | 0.20 |
| 1901 | 19 | #440 | 0.18 |
| 1900 | 25 | #459 | 0.17 |
| 1899 | 20 | #419 | 0.19 |
| 1898 | 28 | #368 | 0.23 |
| 1897 | 20 | #427 | 0.18 |
| 1896 | 19 | #472 | 0.16 |
| 1895 | 20 | #446 | 0.17 |
| 1894 | 23 | #391 | 0.20 |
| 1893 | 26 | #353 | 0.23 |
| 1892 | 17 | #487 | 0.14 |
| 1891 | 17 | #434 | 0.17 |
| 1890 | 21 | #397 | 0.19 |
| 1889 | 12 | #564 | 0.11 |
| 1888 | 20 | #422 | 0.17 |
| 1887 | 23 | #344 | 0.23 |
| 1886 | 18 | #420 | 0.16 |
| 1885 | 15 | #490 | 0.14 |
| 1884 | 25 | #354 | 0.22 |
| 1883 | 20 | #387 | 0.19 |
| 1882 | 26 | #347 | 0.23 |
| 1881 | 12 | #516 | 0.12 |
| 1880 | 7 | #773 | 0.06 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Hal a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Hal has been given almost only to boys: 12 girls in 146 years of records.
Girls and boys named Hal: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Hal, and how old are they?
8,170 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 49% of the 16,796 Americans ever recorded as Hal. The median Hal alive today is 67 years old; half are between 56 and 74.
The 2020 Census counted 9,875 people named Hal (94 women and girls, 9,781 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 9,293 born in the U.S. The Census count is 6% above that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 685 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 4,780 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 1,490 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 624 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 256 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 328 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Hal born?
The states with the most babies named Hal are Texas, North Carolina and California, with 28% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 1,202 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| North Carolina | 1,131 | not ranked | 2.3× |
| California | 1,051 | #2,594 | 0.9× |
| New York | 957 | not ranked | 0.7× |
| Illinois | 616 | not ranked | 0.7× |
| Tennessee | 594 | not ranked | 1.6× |
| Georgia | 591 | not ranked | 1.3× |
| Utah | 520 | #648 | 4.6× |
| Mississippi | 474 | not ranked | 1.7× |
| Ohio | 467 | not ranked | 0.6× |
Where Hal is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Hal is most over-represented in Utah: since 1910 it was given 4.6 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Hal with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 3 names spelled alike, given to 17,767 babies since 1880, Hal is the most given (95% of them). In 2025 it was given to 38 of their 45 babies (84%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Hal
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Hal and names like it
- Compare Hal and HallBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1950sHal peaked in 1956.
- Texas’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Hal since 1910.
- The top names of 1956The year the most babies were named Hal.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Hal alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with HMost given first.