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BabyNames
Boy name#826 of boy names

Hal

Pronounced HH AE1 L (ARPABET)

  • 1 syllable
  • Peaked 1956
  • 145 years in use
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How popular is Hal?

Hal is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 16,758 children — the 826th most common boys' name on record.

It is still recorded, but barely: 254 births across the past decade, against a peak of 598 in a single year. That peak was in 1956.

02505007501,00018901920195019802010
1956Boys: 598Girls: 0

Nicknames

Hal is itself a short form of Henry.

Characteristics

  • 1 syllable
Phonetic detail
Pronunciations:
HH AE1 L
Stress pattern:
1
Syllables:
1

Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.

Names like Hal

Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.

Sibling names for Hal

Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.

Frequently asked questions

How popular is the name Hal?
Hal ranks 826th among boys' names in US records, with 16,758 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 254.
Is Hal a unisex name?
No. Hal is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
When was Hal most popular?
1956, when 598 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.