UK boy's name
Adal
Pure, virtuous, upright; a name from Arabic origins.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2016. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Adal is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Adal popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2016 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4810, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 6 births.
This profile covers 36 England and Wales registrations across 7 recorded years from 1996 to 2016. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 36 living people in the UK are called Adal. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2017 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Adal ranked #4810 for boys in England and Wales in 2016, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 6 boys were registered as Adal.
- • About 36 living people in the UK are estimated to have Adal as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4810
2016
Births in 2016
3
Latest year
Peak year
1996
6 births
Estimated living
36
2026
Meaning
What does Adal mean?
The name Adal has its origins in the Arabic language and can be traced back to the 7th century. It is derived from the Arabic word 'adl,' which means justice, fairness, or integrity. The name was prevalent among the Arabic-speaking populations of the Middle East and North Africa during the early Islamic era.
Adal is believed to have been used as a personal name in ancient times, although its earliest recorded instances are found in medieval Arabic literature and historical accounts. One notable example is Adal ibn al-Faraj, a renowned Arab poet and scholar who lived in the 10th century.
In the 13th century, Adal gained prominence as the name of a medieval Muslim sultanate located in present-day Somalia and Djibouti. The Adal Sultanate played a significant role in the region's history, engaging in conflicts with the neighboring Christian kingdom of Ethiopia.
One of the most famous historical figures bearing the name Adal was Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi, also known as Ahmad Gran (1506-1543). He was the Sultan of Adal and led a powerful military campaign against the Ethiopian Empire, inflicting a major defeat on the Christian forces at the Battle of Shimbra Kure in 1529.
Another notable figure with the name Adal was Adal Ramírez (1837-1888), a Mexican general and politician who served as the Governor of Chihuahua during the late 19th century. He played a crucial role in the Mexican Revolution and the struggle for independence from Spanish colonial rule.
In the 20th century, Adal Malki (1917-1988) was a renowned Egyptian actor and comedian. He was widely celebrated for his performances in numerous films and stage productions, and is considered one of the pioneers of Egyptian comedy.
Adal Rifaat (1927-2016) was a prominent Lebanese writer and academic. He was a prolific author who published numerous novels, short stories, and literary works, and was widely recognized for his contributions to Arabic literature.
Adal Mallik (born 1947) is a Bangladeshi novelist and short story writer. He has been honored with several literary awards and is considered one of the most influential figures in contemporary Bengali literature.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Adal over time
The chart below shows babies named Adal registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2016. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Adal, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2016, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Adal by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Adal was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4810 | 3 | 1 |
| 2000s | #2343 | 15 | 3 |
| 1990s | #1782 | 18 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Adal
- Alfie 86,546
- Alexander 85,525
- Adam 71,855
- Archie 59,965
- Arthur 43,586
- Aaron 36,366
- Alex 32,729
- Andrew 20,169
- Arlo 19,061
- Aidan 16,776
- Albie 16,017
- Albert 15,809
FAQ
Adal: questions and answers
How popular is the name Adal in the UK right now?
In 2016, Adal was ranked #4810 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Adal most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 6 babies registered as Adal in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Adal?
Pure, virtuous, upright; a name from Arabic origins.
How many people are called Adal in the UK?
A total of 36 babies have been registered as Adal across the 7 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.