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.
- #13,374 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 187
- born since 1917
- 1980s
- peak 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.
- #13,374 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 187 born since 1917
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Pal ranks #13,374 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 187 born since 1917, peaking in the 1980s.
- #13,374 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 187
- born since 1917
- 1980s
- peak decade
Pal's 187 recorded births place it above 70.57% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by Texas.
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 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
1980s is the heaviest window (58 births, 31% of the file).
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% |
5 of 187 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
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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
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
Compare Pal side by side: Pal vs Palmer Pal vs Paladin Pal vs Palani
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Pal: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1961)
Similar record span (~97 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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).
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 August 2026.