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Name Lineage

    The first name Bilal

    A boy’s name from Arabic.

    2 syllables Male Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Arabic origin

    From Arabic بِلَال (bilāl), specially Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 99 boys were named Bilal, making it the 408th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2006, with 190 births (#215).

    0100200 1996200020052010201520202025
    4,213
    babies named Bilal, 1996–2025
    #408
    rank in 2025
    2006
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Bilal with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Bilal at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 167 boys born in the United States were named Bilal, the 1,212th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2018, when 195 were.

    0100200 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    5,863
    babies named Bilal since 1880
    #1,212
    rank in 2025
    2018
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Nicknames for Bilal

    Famous people named Bilal

    14 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Bilal ibn Ribah
      Companion of Muhammad and first Islamic mu'azzin (c.580–640)
    • Bilal Hassani
      French-Moroccan singer, songwriter and vlogger, born 1999
    • Bilal Philips
      Canadian Muslim scholar and Salafist (born 1947)
    • Bilal Ag Acherif
      Amazigh (Tuareg) nationalist leader, born 1977
    • Bilal Boutobba
      French and Algerian footballer, born 1998
    • Bilal Coulibaly
      French basketball player (born 2004)
    • Bilal Ould-Chikh
      Dutch footballer, born 1997
    • Bilal Tabti
      Algerian athletics competitor, born 1993
    • Bilal Nadir
      French footballer (born 2003)
    • Bilal Xhaferri
      Albanian writer, journalist (1935–1986)
    • Bill Hamid
      American soccer player, born 1990
    • Balal Arezou
      Afghan association football player, born 1988

    More Arabic boys’ names

    All 218 names of Arabic origin

    Questions

    What does the name Bilal mean?
    From Arabic بِلَال (bilāl), specially Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ.
    What is the origin of the name Bilal?
    From Arabic بِلَال (bilāl), specially Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ.
    How popular is the name Bilal?
    In 2025, 99 boys born in England and Wales were named Bilal, ranking 408th. Its peak was 2006, with 190 births.
    What are nicknames for Bilal?
    Common nicknames for Bilal include Bill.
    Is Bilal a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 5,863 US babies named Bilal since 1880 were boys.
    When was Bilal most popular?
    2018 in the United States, when 195 babies were named Bilal, its highest rank at 1,040th.
    Is Bilal also a surname?
    Yes. Bilal is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.