Hal is a boy name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Hal means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Hal across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Hal has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Hal is a boy name of Germanic origin meaning “home ruler”. A medieval pet form of Henry or Harold.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 16,796 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 441 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 3 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Hal per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1956 (598/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1997 (27/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2005 (3/yr).
Hal has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1956, when it ranked #658 nationally (given to 598 babies that year).
Haley · Hailey · Hayley · Hallie · Haylee · Halle · Hailee · Halo
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