Masterpiece Generator Name Generator
How popular is the name Hal?
Births per year, rank history and how many Hals are alive today.
Hal (male) is a shortened form of the name Henry. Although Hal itself was given to 3 babies in England and Wales in 2025 (ranked 5137th as a registered name), most Hals are registered as Henry, which ranked 13th in 2025 with 2,295 babies.
Most people called Hal are registered as Henry, and share that name's profile: the Henry you are most likely to meet is around 11 years old. Half of all Henries born in England and Wales are between 10 and 47, and there are at least 100,000 of them alive today. Only some Henrys go by Hal.
How many babies are named Hal or Henry each year?
Combined registrations of Henry, Hal. Figures before 1996 are estimates.
Where does Henry rank as a registered name?
Where does Hal rank as a registered name?
Where this data comes from
Figures from 1996 onwards are the Office for National Statistics' annual baby-name registrations for England and Wales, which record every name given to three or more babies in a year. Figures before 1996 are estimates: the ONS published only top-100 rankings at ten-year intervals back to 1904, so counts for those years are modelled from the rankings, calibrated against Douglas Galbi's long-run research into English name frequencies, and shown with an uncertainty band. Estimates of living bearers combine these birth figures with national life tables and ONS mid-year population estimates.
One limit worth naming: these figures count names as registered at birth. Anyone who changes their name later in life - including trans people, and anyone who adopts a different name by deed poll or simply by use - is not reflected here. Birth registrations record where a name began, not the name a person lives with.
Common questions
Is Hal short for Henry?
Yes - Hal is a shortened form of Henry. Hals are usually registered as Henry at birth.
When was the name Hal most popular?
The full name Henry peaked in 1904, when around 8,900 babies in England and Wales were given the name. Hal itself peaked as a registered name in 1997, with 27 babies.
How many people are called Hal?
There's no official count of people who go by Hal, because it's a nickname rather than a registered name. What we can say: at least 100,000 people registered as Henry born in England and Wales are alive today, and some of them go by Hal.
How old is the typical Hal?
Most people called Hal are registered as Henry. Most living Henries are between 10 and 47; the most common age is about 11.
Is Hal becoming more or less popular?
Declining: numbers have been falling in recent years.