The first name Hal
A boy’s name.
1 syllable Male
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 3 boys were named Hal, making it the 5,137th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1997, with 27 births (#613).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Hal with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Hal at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 38 boys born in the United States were named Hal, the 3,151st most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1956, when 598 were.
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.
Famous people named Hal
53 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Hal HolbrookAmerican actor (1925–2021)
- Timothée ChalametFrench-American actor (born 1995)
- Hal B. WallisAmerican film producer and art collector (1898–1986)
- Hal AshbyAmerican film director and film editor (1929-1988)
- Hal ClementAmerican author (1922–2003)
- Hal RoachAmerican filmmaker (1892–1992)
- Hal AbelsonComputer scientist, born 1947
- Hal GreerAmerican basketball player (1936–2018)
- Hal HartleyAmerican film director and screenwriter (born 1959)
- Hal RogersAmerican politician, born 1937
- Hal NeedhamAmerican stunt performer and film director (1931-2013)
- Hal SmithAmerican actor (1916-1994)
Questions
- How popular is the name Hal?
- In 2025, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Hal, ranking 5,137th. Its peak was 1997, with 27 births.
- Is Hal a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 16,796 US babies named Hal since 1880 were boys.
- When was Hal most popular?
- 1956 in the United States, when 598 babies were named Hal, its highest rank at 305th.