Total births
187
Unisex name · since 1917
Pal
187 babies named Pal in U.S. Social Security records since 1917, with the highest year being 1961. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 187
- total births
- 1917–2014
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 31%
- born in that decade
Pal sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 187 recorded since 1917.
Social Security Administration records show Pal recorded 187 times among boys since 1917, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used boys names, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1917 to 2014.
- 187 total births
- 1917–2014 years on record
- 1980s peak decade
- 31% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
187 boys have been named Pal since 1917, peaking in the 1980s, last recorded in 2014.
- 187
- total births
- 1917–2014
- years on record
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 31%
- born in that decade
1980s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Pal was born in this single decade.
1961
Single peak year
12 babies were named Pal in 1961 - its busiest year on record.
Pal's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Pal's full recorded timeline at 1965, 53% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 47% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1917, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1961 peak of 12 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Pal at a glance
Last recorded 2014Peak year
1961
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1917
Pal popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1917–2014
- Peak year (1961)
- 12
- Annual births at peak, across 98 years of records
Pal popularity over time - girls
15 total births recorded since 2007 (Pal as girls' name)
Pal by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Pal's strongest decade.
58 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Pal births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s 15
1920s
15 births
- 1930s 22
1930s
22 births
- 1950s 21
1950s
21 births
- 1960s
1960s
37 births
- 1970s 18
1970s
18 births
- 1980s
1980s
58 births
- 2000s 6
2000s
6 births
- 2010s 5
2010s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 58 births (31% of all-time use).
Pal by state
Where Pal concentrates geographically, total births since 1917
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 5 | 2.7% |
Texas share of Pal's total US births 2.7%
5 of 187 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Pal? ▼
187 babies have been named Pal since 1917. It was last recorded in 2014. The peak year was 1961 with 12 births.
When was Pal most popular? ▼
Pal was most popular in the 1980s decade with 58 total births. The single peak year was 1961.
Where is Pal most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Pal are Texas (5 births).
Is Pal a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Pal is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 187 births, and as a girl's name it has 15 births.
How long has the name Pal been used? ▼
Records for Pal go back to 1917, giving 98 years of history through 2014.
What names are similar to Pal? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Palmer, Paladin, Palani, Palash, and 2 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Pal's data
- Pal's decade-level peak was the 1980s (58 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Pals (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Pal
Nearby Names Like Pal
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Pal
Palmer Boy
#1079 9,264 births
Paladin Boy
41 births
Palani Boy
30 births
Palash Boy
28 births
Palak Boy
5 births
Compare Pal side by side: Pal vs Palmer Pal vs Paladin Pal vs Palani
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1917–2014 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Pal: Baby Name Since 1917 - 187 Births, Peak 1961." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/pal. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Pal draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.