Total births
1,265
Unisex name · since 1937
Tal
1,265 babies named Tal in U.S. Social Security records since 1937, with the highest year being 1963. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #11101
- among boys today
- 1,265
- born since 1937
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 22%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Tal is the #11101 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 1,265 recorded since 1937.
Social Security Administration records show Tal recorded 1,265 times among boys since 1937, holding rank #11101 nationally today, ahead of 22% of boys, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1937 to 2025.
- #11101 among boys today
- 1,265 born since 1937
- 1990s peak decade
- 22% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Tal is currently the #11101 unisex name in America, more common than 22% of boys - 1,265 born since 1937, peaking in the 1990s.
- #11101
- among boys today
- 1,265
- born since 1937
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 22%
- more common than other boys
Tal vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#11101
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 22% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Tal was born in this single decade.
1963
Single peak year
87 babies were named Tal in 1963 - its busiest year on record.
How Tal compares
1,265 Top 27% higher than 73% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Tal's all-time total is 3x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Tal | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,265 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 87 | 23 | 22,252 |
Tal's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Tal's SSA record in two at 1990 and the more recent half accounts for 51% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 49%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1937, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1963 peak of 87, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Tal at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1963
Current rank
#11,101
Active since
1937
Tal popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1937–2025
- Peak year (1963)
- 87
- Annual births at peak, across 89 years of records
Tal popularity over time - girls
548 total births recorded since 1963 (Tal as girls' name)
Tal by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Tal's strongest decade.
257 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Tal births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 5
1930s
5 births
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
- 1950s 24
1950s
24 births
- 1960s
1960s
240 births
- 1970s
1970s
137 births
- 1980s
1980s
203 births
- 1990s
1990s
257 births
- 2000s
2000s
228 births
- 2010s
2010s
107 births
- 2020s 59
2020s
59 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 257 births (20% of all-time use).
How Tal compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Tal's total volume
Tal vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Tal by state
Where Tal concentrates geographically, total births since 1937
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 166 | 13.1% |
| #2 | California | | 132 | 10.4% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 13 | 1.0% |
| #4 | Texas | | 8 | 0.6% |
| #5 | Louisiana | | 6 | 0.5% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #7 | Mississippi | | 5 | 0.4% |
| #8 | New Jersey | | 5 | 0.4% |
New York share of Tal's total US births 13.1%
Even split
166 of 1,265 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 9 reporting states.
Tal appears in 9 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Tal? ▼
Tal has been given to 1,265 babies in the U.S. since 1937, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #11101 as of the latest data. 87 babies were born in 1963, its single highest year.
When was Tal most popular? ▼
Tal was most popular in the 1990s decade with 257 total births. The single peak year was 1963.
Where is Tal most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Tal are New York (166 births), California (132 births), Illinois (13 births).
Is Tal a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Tal is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 1,265 births, and as a girl's name it has 548 births.
How long has the name Tal been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Tal since 1937 -- 89 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Tal? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Talon, Talmadge, Talan, Talmage, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Tal's data
- Tal's decade-level peak was the 1990s (257 total births); usage has since declined to 59 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Tals (166 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Tal
Nearby Names Like Tal
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Tal
Talon Boy
#1046 12,497 births
Talmadge Boy
#10970 5,635 births
Talan Boy
#3134 3,982 births
Talmage Boy
#6482 2,281 births
Talen Boy
#3481 1,982 births
Compare Tal side by side: Tal vs Talon Tal vs Talmadge Tal vs Talan
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Tal
Jerod #11100
6,014 births · Peak 1980
Greggory #11102
5,107 births · Peak 1963
Ravon #11099
906 births · Peak 1996
Trevis #11103
1,784 births · Peak 1979
Josep #11098
155 births · Peak 2011
Kerby #11104
884 births · Peak 1961
Avelardo #11097
344 births · Peak 2013
Cabot #11105
287 births · Peak 2004
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, 1937–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Tal: #11101 Unisex Name - 1,265 Births, Peak 1963." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/tal. 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 Tal 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.