Haile
Origins from an Ethiopian word meaning "power of my ancestor".
Name Census estimates that about 1,034 living Americans carry the first name Haile. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 79.2% of registrations being female. The average person named Haile today is around 24 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Haile births was 2002 (72 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Haile. 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.
People living today
1.0K
~ 1 in 331,484 Americans
Peak year
2002
72 babies that year
Average age
24
years old
2023 SSA rank
#9,117
Tracked since 1935
Gender
Gender distribution for Haile
Haile is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 1,069 total registrations, 222 (20.8%) were male and 847 (79.2%) were female.
Haile as a male name
- Ranked #10,092 in 2023
- 7 male births in 2023
- Peak: 1935 (11 births)
Haile as a female name
- Ranked #9,117 in 2024
- 11 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2002 (66 births)
Popularity
Haile: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Haile from the 1930s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 509 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Haile 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 Haile during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Hailes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Haile, while Ohio, Michigan, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 22 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Haile
The given name Haile originates from the Semitic languages spoken in the Horn of Africa region, particularly in Ethiopia. It is derived from the Ge'ez root word "hyl," which means "power" or "might." The name can be traced back to ancient times, as early as the 4th century AD, when it was used by the rulers of the Aksumite Empire, one of the major powers of the ancient world.
In the Ethiopian Semitic languages, such as Amharic and Tigrinya, the name Haile is often combined with other words to form compound names. For instance, Haile Selassie, the renowned Ethiopian emperor who ruled from 1930 to 1974, had a name that translates to "Power of the Trinity."
The name Haile has a strong connection to the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which has its roots in the ancient Aksumite Empire. It is believed that the name was used by several religious figures and saints throughout the centuries.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Haile can be found in the Kebra Nagast, an ancient text that chronicles the lineage of the Solomonic dynasty in Ethiopia. The text, which dates back to the 14th century, mentions Haile as one of the descendants of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Haile. Here are five examples:
1. Haile Selassie I (1892-1975), the last emperor of Ethiopia, who was a central figure in the struggle against Italian colonialism and played a significant role in the formation of the Organization of African Unity (now the African Union).
2. Haile Gerima (born 1946), an Ethiopian filmmaker and professor, known for his influential works that explore themes of African identity and struggle against oppression.
3. Haile Gebrselassie (born 1973), an Ethiopian long-distance runner and one of the greatest athletes in history, who held world records in several distance events.
4. Haile Menelik II (1844-1913), the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1889 to 1913, who successfully defended his country against Italian invasion and is credited with modernizing and unifying Ethiopia.
5. Haile Fida (c. 1617-1667), a renowned Ethiopian philosopher and scholar, known for his work on reconciling traditional Ethiopian beliefs with Christian teachings.
The name Haile has a rich historical significance and has been borne by numerous influential figures, particularly in the context of Ethiopian history and culture. Its connection to power, might, and religious symbolism has made it a revered name in the region.
People
Haile + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Haile as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Haile: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Haile?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,034 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Haile 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 331,484 US residents.
Is Haile a common name?
We classify Haile as "Rare". It ranks above 90.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,069 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Haile most popular?
The single biggest year for Haile was 2002, when 72 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Haile is about 24 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Haile a female name?
Yes, 79.2% of people registered as Haile in the SSA data are female. 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.
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.