Hal

Hal: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “estate ruler”
Origin: English
Say it: HAL · 1 syllable
Used for: Boys

English short form of Harry or Henry. Through Henry it ultimately comes from Germanic Heimirich, meaning 'home' or 'estate' and 'ruler.'

English names Names meaning royalty Names meaning noble Short names Classic names

How popular is Hal?

20249.9 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Hal in 202433

2024 rank#3,447 boys

Peak year1956

Total US babies since 188016,758

Hal is rising: use over the last five years is 2.0× what it was a decade earlier.

Names like Hal

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Hattiehome ruler · English
Harryhome ruler · English
Harriettestate ruler · Germanic
Harriettehome ruler · Germanic
JackGod is gracious · English
Hudsonson of Hudd · English
Averyruler of elves · English
Jacksonson of Jack · English

Hal questions

What does the name Hal mean?

Hal means "estate ruler". It comes from English. English short form of Harry or Henry. Through Henry it ultimately comes from Germanic Heimirich, meaning 'home' or 'estate' and 'ruler.'

Is Hal a boy or girl name?

Hal is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Hal?

33 US babies were named Hal in 2024. Its peak year was 1956.

How do you pronounce Hal?

Hal is usually pronounced HAL.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.