Halah
A feminine Islamic name of Arabic origin meaning "halo" or "nimbus".
Name Census estimates that about 142 living Americans carry the first name Halah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Halah today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Halah births was 1996 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Halah. 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
142
~ 1 in 2,413,763 Americans
Peak year
1996
9 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,532
Tracked since 1984
Popularity
Halah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Halah from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 60 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
Halah 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 Halah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Halah
The name Halah originates from the Arabic language and has its roots in the Middle Eastern region. It is derived from the Arabic word "hala," which means "crescent moon." This name has been in use for centuries and holds significant cultural and historical significance.
In pre-Islamic Arabia, the crescent moon was a symbol of great importance, representing fertility, growth, and the cyclical nature of life. As such, the name Halah was often bestowed upon children with the hope that they would embody these qualities and lead a prosperous life.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Halah can be found in the Quran, the holy book of Islam. In the Quran, Halah is mentioned as the daughter of the prophet Shuaib, who was sent to preach to the people of Midian. This reference to Halah in a sacred text highlights the antiquity and religious significance of the name.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Halah. One such person was Halah bint Khuwaylid (born around 580 CE), a prominent Arab poet and warrior from the Banu Asad tribe. Her poetry celebrated bravery and valor, and she is remembered for her participation in numerous battles during the early days of Islam.
Another historical figure named Halah was Halah al-Saddah (born in the 9th century CE), a renowned Arabic poet from Baghdad. Her poetry was highly regarded during her lifetime, and she was praised for her eloquence and mastery of the Arabic language.
In the realm of Islamic scholarship, Halah bint Ahmad al-Marwazi (born in the 10th century CE) was a renowned scholar and jurist. She was widely respected for her vast knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence and her contributions to the field of hadith studies.
Halah bint al-Hakim (born in the 11th century CE) was a prominent female ruler in the Fatimid Caliphate, which ruled over parts of North Africa and the Middle East. She served as the regent for her son, the caliph al-Mustansir, and played a crucial role in maintaining stability and governance during a turbulent period in the caliphate's history.
Lastly, Halah al-Nabulsi (born in the 17th century CE) was a Palestinian poet and scholar who gained recognition for her literary works and contributions to the intellectual discourse of her time. Her poetry celebrated the beauty of nature and explored themes of love and spirituality.
People
Halah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Halah 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
Halah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Halah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 142 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Halah 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 2,413,763 US residents.
Is Halah a common name?
We classify Halah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 145 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Halah most popular?
The single biggest year for Halah was 1996, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Halah is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Halah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Halah 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.