Birl
An uncommon masculine name of Scottish derivation, potentially related to birch trees.
Name Census estimates that about 27 living Americans carry the first name Birl. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Birl today is around 83 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Birl births was 1921 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Birl. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Birl is about 83 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Birls were born before 1953.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Birl. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
27
~ 1 in 12,694,605 Americans
Peak year
1921
15 babies that year
Average age
83
years old
1957 SSA rank
#3,279
Tracked since 1888
Popularity
Birl: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Birl from the 1880s through to the 1950s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 87 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Birl by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Birl during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Birls live
Origin
Meaning and history of Birl
The name Birl is believed to have originated from the Old Germanic language, dating back to the early medieval period around the 5th to 8th centuries AD. It was prevalent among Germanic tribes such as the Franks, Saxons, and Goths, who inhabited regions across modern-day Germany, the Netherlands, and parts of France.
The name Birl is thought to be derived from the Germanic root word "bir," which means "bear." This root word is also found in other Old Germanic names like Beringer and Bernhard. The suffix "l" was commonly added to names during that time, possibly serving as a diminutive or endearing form.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Birl can be found in the Frankish Annals, a historical chronicle written in the late 8th century. The annals mention a Frankish nobleman named Birl who participated in a military campaign against the Saxons in the year 772 AD.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Birl. One such person was Birl the Scribe, a 10th-century monk from the Benedictine abbey of St. Gallen in modern-day Switzerland. He is known for his exceptional calligraphy and illumination work on various religious manuscripts.
Another historical figure with the name Birl was Birl of Mainz, a 12th-century German scholar and theologian. He was known for his contributions to the scholastic movement and his writings on theological subjects.
In the 14th century, Birl von Hohenzollern was a German knight and military commander who served under the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. He played a significant role in the German campaigns against the Hussites in Bohemia.
During the Renaissance period, Birl Ritter was a renowned German painter and engraver from Nuremberg, born in 1492. His intricate woodcuts and engravings depicted religious and mythological scenes and were highly regarded in his time.
It is worth noting that while the name Birl has historical roots in Germanic culture, its usage has been relatively rare throughout history. However, it serves as a testament to the rich linguistic diversity and cultural influences that have shaped the development of names over time.
People
Birl + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Birl as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with B
Other first names starting with B with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Birl: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Birl?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 27 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Birl going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 12,694,605 US residents.
Is Birl a common name?
We classify Birl as "Very Rare". It ranks above 44.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 188 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Birl most popular?
The single biggest year for Birl was 1921, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Birl is about 83 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Birl in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Birl a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Birl in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Birl still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Birl in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Birl can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Birl as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Birl on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.