UK girl's name
Halla
Feminine Arabic name meaning "to untie" or "to release".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2018. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Halla is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Halla popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2018 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5666, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2012, with 5 births.
This profile covers 26 England and Wales registrations across 7 recorded years from 2001 to 2018. 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 60% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 26 living people in the UK are called Halla. 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 2019 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Halla ranked #5666 for girls in England and Wales in 2018, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2012, when 5 girls were registered as Halla.
- • About 26 living people in the UK are estimated to have Halla as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5666
2018
Births in 2018
3
Latest year
Peak year
2012
5 births
Estimated living
26
2026
Meaning
What does Halla mean?
The name Halla is believed to have originated from the Old Norse language, which was spoken by the Germanic peoples of Scandinavia during the Viking Age (8th to 11th centuries). It is derived from the Old Norse word "hallr," meaning "rock" or "stone," suggesting a connection to nature and strength.
In ancient Norse mythology, Halla was the name of one of the handmaidens or servants of the goddess Frigg, the wife of Odin, the chief god in Norse mythology. This association with a prominent figure in Norse mythology suggests that the name may have held significant cultural and religious significance among the Norse peoples.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Halla can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of historical narratives and stories written in the 13th and 14th centuries. These sagas provide insights into the lives and customs of the Norse people during the Viking Age and the early settlement of Iceland.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Halla. One of the most famous was Halla Vilhjálmsdóttir (1923-2015), an Icelandic actress and singer who was a prominent figure in Icelandic theater and film during the 20th century. Another notable Halla was Halla Tómasdóttir (1976-present), an Icelandic businesswoman and entrepreneur who co-founded the successful clothing company Revna.
In the realm of literature, Halla Margrét Árnadóttir (1958-present) is an Icelandic author and translator known for her novels and short stories. In the field of sports, Halla Hinrichs (1967-present) is a former German professional tennis player who achieved a career-high ranking of No. 9 in the world in 1987.
Another notable individual with the name Halla was Halla Tómasdóttir (1965-present), an Icelandic politician and former Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources in Iceland from 2009 to 2013.
While the name Halla may have ancient roots in Norse culture and mythology, it has endured through the centuries and continues to be used in various parts of the world, particularly in Scandinavia and Iceland, where it remains a popular and culturally significant name.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Halla over time
The chart below shows babies named Halla registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2001 to 2018. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Halla, the clearest high point is 2012. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2018, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Halla by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Halla 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 | #4919 | 8 | 2 |
| 2000s | #4303 | 18 | 5 |
Related
Names similar to Halla
- Hannah 67,635
- Holly 52,307
- Harriet 24,781
- Hollie 17,902
- Harper 15,784
- Heidi 12,675
- Hallie 9,873
- Hope 9,414
- Hayley 5,968
- Hazel 5,954
- Hanna 5,735
- Heather 5,497
FAQ
Halla: questions and answers
How popular is the name Halla in the UK right now?
In 2018, Halla was ranked #5666 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Halla most popular?
The peak year on record was 2012, with 5 babies registered as Halla in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Halla?
Feminine Arabic name meaning "to untie" or "to release".
How many people are called Halla in the UK?
A total of 26 babies have been registered as Halla 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.