UK boy's name
Halil
A masculine Turkish name meaning "forbearing" or "mild-mannered".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2022. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Halil is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Halil popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2022 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3048, with 6 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 11 births.
This profile covers 171 England and Wales registrations across 26 recorded years from 1996 to 2022. 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 55% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 170 living people in the UK are called Halil. 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 2023 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Halil ranked #3048 for boys in England and Wales in 2022, with 6 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 11 boys were registered as Halil.
- • About 170 living people in the UK are estimated to have Halil as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3048
2022
Births in 2022
6
Latest year
Peak year
1996
11 births
Estimated living
170
2026
Meaning
What does Halil mean?
The name Halil is of Arabic origin and is a variant spelling of the more common name Khalil, derived from the Arabic word "Khalil" which means "friend" or "beloved". The name can be traced back to the 7th century CE and the early days of Islam.
Halil/Khalil is a significant name in Islamic tradition as it was one of the titles given to the Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) in the Quran, reflecting his status as a close friend of God. The name is mentioned in several verses of the Quran, and Islamic scholars have written extensively about its meaning and significance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Halil can be found in the writings of the famous Arabic poet and scholar Al-Mutanabbi (915-965 CE), who included the name in his poetry. The name also appears in various historical records and chronicles from the medieval Islamic world.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Halil. One of the most famous was Halil ibn Ahmad (718-786 CE), a renowned Muslim jurist and scholar who played a significant role in the development of Islamic jurisprudence. Another important figure was Halil al-Zahiri (820-891 CE), a prominent Islamic scholar and theologian from Baghdad.
In the Ottoman Empire, the name Halil was widely used, and several notable figures bore this name. One of the most famous was Halil Pasha (1520-1590), a powerful Grand Vizier who served under Sultan Murad III. Another notable Ottoman figure was Halil ibn Ismail (1611-1682), a renowned calligrapher and poet.
In more recent times, Halil Inalcik (1916-2016) was a prominent Turkish historian and academic who made significant contributions to the study of Ottoman history. Halil Rahman Lakhvi (born c. 1950) is a Pakistani militant leader and the founder of the terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba.
While the name Halil is most commonly associated with the Arabic and Islamic world, it has also been adopted by various cultures and communities across regions where Islam has spread, including parts of South Asia, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Halil over time
The chart below shows babies named Halil registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2022. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Halil, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 6 births in 2022, compared with 11 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Halil by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Halil 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #3147 | 18 | 3 |
| 2010s | #2913 | 60 | 9 |
| 2000s | #2786 | 56 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1372 | 37 | 4 |
Related
Names similar to Halil
- Harry 141,693
- Henry 65,177
- Harrison 45,958
- Harvey 35,648
- Harley 22,095
- Hugo 18,779
- Hayden 12,622
- Hunter 10,350
- Hudson 9,104
- Hamza 8,564
- Hassan 5,982
- Hasan 3,599
FAQ
Halil: questions and answers
How popular is the name Halil in the UK right now?
In 2022, Halil was ranked #3048 for boys in England and Wales, with 6 births registered.
When was Halil most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 11 babies registered as Halil in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Halil?
A masculine Turkish name meaning "forbearing" or "mild-mannered".
How many people are called Halil in the UK?
A total of 171 babies have been registered as Halil across the 26 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.